The Hard Way
by CigarsAllAround
Summary: Angry and rebellious, thirteen-year-old Rogue is sent to live with her daddy, Logan. Problems show up like sunshine and clouds, but can they repair their broken relationship? Contains spanking of a young, troublesome teen.
1. Reacquainted

**This story does contain spanking of a minor** – If this offends you or if you have a problem with this subject matter, then please give this story a miss.

This story will also include rebelling, swearing and a thirteen-year-old Rogue without any powers (yet), but a whole lot of attitude. It's an AU.

* * *

**The Hard Way:**

**Reacquainted**

* * *

If you'd gone and asked me a year ago who my favourite person in the world was I couldn't have given you a straight answer, 'cause there were two: My mama and my older brother, Kurt. But I was twelve back then and a real different person. Twelve-years-olds ain't just dumb, they have a real easy life too, and they're loved and cared for no matter what they go and do. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and feel my Mama's love again before she started to hate me, but you know, I ain't magic and I'm not about to pummel her head with my tears.

I'm thirteen, now. Thirteen years and two months to be real precise. My Mama don't like me no more, Kurt says I have a bad issue with folks who chew on authority, and he thinks this is all for the best. All I know is I never want to see either of them again 'cause they're dead to me. Families are supposed to stick together and this sure as heck ain't nothing like sticking close. We ain't like a flapjack, all gooey and bound together, we're scattered about everywhere and I hate it. They're just sending me away, hating on me, and it's hurting.

I wanna scream till all the pain and anger has balled up and been kicked away because it was only another argument, that was all. Okay, I'd run off again and fallen into a whole heap of stinking trouble, but I'd gone and done that before. She'd never acted this way when I skipped a whole week of school, or when I sold her diamond ring to the fella across the street - so why'd she stuff her stubbornness away and get in contact _him _now? He don't care about me, I don't care about him, and that's all there is to it.

"_I've had enough, Anna. I can't do this any more."_

You see what she said to me? Heck, I didn't care what she had to say 'cause we yelled at each other and I ran out of there like I was high on drugs. Spending time with my friends, hanging around the mall with Cody and taking stuff from the thrift stores was fun - Better then staying in that house with her. We got caught by mall security, they called her, ranting and raving, and she sent Kurt to pick me up. She couldn't even be bothered to do it herself, you know, swing by to pick her own kid up when I was real close to be being hauled into mall jail.

"_You're only thirteen, you can't keep acting like this! It's making me ill."_

Yeah, she always said that. I didn't care how old I was, it had nothing to do with what was happening and the way I thought about her. How could she make this all about her wrinkly ass, huh? She was my goddamn mama and she was never there for me. All she cared about was when the next guy in her life would come around and flash her a diamond necklace or a ticket to a cruise around the Caribbean.

"_You need a fresh start, we both do. Anna, sweetheart, I'm sending you to live with your father."_

That was the moment when my hating grew green balls of damn steel. I smashed up my room real good, even tore down all the posters that I'd spent over a year collecting and taping to my walls. I threw every gift she'd gone and bought me out the window and I went and kicked everything that reminded me of her, and still it weren't good enough - I hated her - I hated _them. _

"_I talked to him last night and he agrees with me. You're leaving on the first train tomorrow, he'll pick you up from the station."_

That all seems like years ago, but it all went and happened over the past two days. I have no family now, they sold me out and I hate them for it. Yeah, I hate them. I'm gonna keep hating them till your eyes are spitting tears 'cause you're real fed up of catching the word 'hate' on this page. I hate him, y'hear? They can go walk the plank of hate 'cause the gator of hating hatred is waiting on them for his hate hating damn lunch!

Heck, I wouldn't talk to her after that so Kurt dropped me off at the station and waited with me. I might even miss him, you know. He weren't a bad big brother, but he's starting college in the fall. He's packing up and moving out just like I am, except he hasn't been kicked out by a lady that couldn't bring up phlegm, let alone a kid with attitude.

Huffing, I chuck a glare out the window at the passing buildings, ugly folks, real hooker-like cars, slabs of concrete, and then it happens, my lip starts to tremble. The train slows, crossing a bridge, and I look out over the city, watching a real smartly dressed lady walking with her little girl down a sidewalk close to the tracks. There the kid goes, waving at the train as it passes her fool brain by and my tears respond by throwing a pity party down my pale cheeks.

Damn it, I'm being a wuss and even the guy with the laptop and grey suit is thinking that as he looks my way. I didn't stare at him when he kept chuckling at his screen, so why is he interested in my wall of cracked emotions, huh? Ain't he ever seen a girl cry before? "Take a damn photo, it'll last longer," I tell him, making his weedy ass blush like a rotten tomato.

I glare at him until he looks away and feel a little better about wiping the tears when nobody is watching me. Shit, I don't cry, I never cry. I need to pull myself together real quick 'cause this ain't going to happen. The Rogue don't cry: she's tough and has no time for tears in her shitty life. This out sucks even the time I had to stay with Destiny! Damn it, I don't wanna see, let alone live with the guy who has the paternal instincts of a banana. It's just that I don't really remember my Da... I mean, Logan. He visited a couple of times, then just blew me off like I weren't worth the time or effort. I ain't his kid, not no more. He can go to hell if he thinks I'm gonna bow down and kiss his useless ass. He ain't been in my life and sure as hell ain't becoming part of it now. My family ain't worth the tears and I'm real sure neither of them have cried over me.

You know what? Kurt's lucky Logan ain't his daddy. His dad lives in Germany and he visits his half-brothers and sisters each summer. I'm just wishing the German guy was my kin, too. But no, my mama had to go ahead and pick some dead-beat to hook up with so I could be born. Yeah, you get it now don't you? I don't like my life much right now.

After another hour of crying, glaring at the man in the grey suit and scowling at anybody that even looked my way, the train begins to slow down again causing folks to stand. I'm guessing this dump is Bayville and I want the world to come to an end right this minute and everything. There's no point in carrying on with the tears 'cause I'm wasting my energy. I could be plotting against my so-called family instead of flooding my shirt with hurt. That's what _he'll_ be doing as soon as he sees me; he'll be plotting. Yeah, him and Raven have probably been spending most of the time talking about everything bad I've done anyway. Why the heck should I crush his expectations?

* * *

I stepped off the train an hour and thirty eight minutes ago and Logan ain't here none. That don't surprise me, he's always forgotten about my skinny, white ass. So, why wouldn't he carry on the tradition of not giving a damn, huh? I bet he's tucked up in bed, eating a banana and beating his ape chest 'cause he's gone and smashed his goal of hurting me real bad again.

Though, spring time's in the air and stuff, so it's not that cold and the sun's shining, but I'm guessing it's gonna rain here any minute now. If God does spit at me, I'm not moving my butt from this bench 'cause I'm now a train spotter. Yeah, I am. You see what my daddy's gone and drove me too? Damn it, I hate everything right now and I don't have the energy to move from this place I now call home. I wanna lock myself in the restrooms and cry, but what would be the point? I want to go back to Mississippi and hang out with Cody and the gang, instead.

You know what me and the gang do? We all wear something green and stand around the strip malls and local playgrounds until somebody calls the cops and we all have to run. Sometimes we even start fights - At least they do, and me and Cody watch. We're the youngest and we were picked to join them. It's supposed to be an honour, and looked at me, I've crapped all over that by boarding the train and coming to Sucksville. It's like a rule to wear some green clothing. Some of the older boys wear bandanas and I'm wearing my green hooded sweatshirt today. Even if I ain't there and not an active member; I'm still in gang colours. They recruit folks at the age of thirteen and I've been with them two months now. I told you it's an honour and a privilege - I feel both. Stealing is a real big part involved in the initiation thing, and the more expensive the object you steal, the better you're treated by everybody.

I took a CD from a store in the mall and ran like hell. Our leader, Caleb, gave me extra points for outrunning the fat security guard and getting away. I'm a real genuine member and proud of it. My Mama don't know about it. She just thinks I'm going through a stage and Logan's the only one who can handle me. That's a serious crock of shit if ever I've heard it. Nobody can handle me. Raven's boyfriends always tried and they failed.

I suppose I'm just not in the mood to vanish today, that's why I'm sitting here like a brainless fool and waiting for somebody who doesn't give a crap about me. I don't know what's worse than being forgotten about by a giant ape, really. My cluttered thoughts and scruffy bags are the only company I have until two geeks clear their throats in my direction. I glance at them, my eyes switching from one freak to the other. Geeks, freaks, strangers, whatever - I don't give a damn and I really don't wanna discuss the finer points of living in Geekville with them.

"Ya blockin' mah light," I tell the cocky looking redhead, scowling at her and her choice of fashion. Heck, I wouldn't be seen dead in what she calls clothing. It looks like a ten foot yeti has chucked up on her. "Ah love mah light, so get outta the way."

She nudges the one with the dorky haircut and red glasses beside her. I'm still thinking nobody knows how to dress in New York. Yep, the whole state don't know what it's doing. "I think we've found her, Scott. Logan said she'd probably have an attitude."

My mighty scowl deepens when I hear his name. "Ah'm still sittin' here, ya know, an' Ah ain't the only one here with an attitude." I don't like her none and knowing she's been sent by Logan makes me hate her even more. "Ya still blockin' mah light, too."

"So, you're Anna-Marie then?" The dork with the dick asks, frowning away at my words.

"Nah, that ain't mah name no more: it's Rogue. An' what, can't Logan tell the time or somethin'? Don't tell meh, he sent a welcome party 'cause he's too scared tah face meh after what he's done," I grumble grouchily, slouching on the bench and stretching my legs out.

"No, not exactly, he was called away on some urgent business."

Of course the redhead answered, the dork is still frowning away the best years of his life. Wait until he hits an age where he sprouts grey hair, he'll be all wrinkles and no personality. I'm doubting he has any personality to shake his ass with now, and he looks like he fell into Baby Gap. Anybody willing to walk out their house and be seen dressed that way needs a real good kick in the balls.

"More 'urgent' than meh, huh? Yeah, course it was. No need tah be replyin', Ah weren't talkin' tah either of ya. Mah imaginary friend is just over there, standin' right behind ya both. He's flippin' ya off, too." I smirk as I stand up, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. I can't believe they fell for that, they must be even more stupid then they both look. Damn geeks, Cody would have a field day with them. Walking to the exit, I chuck a real long look their way. "One of ya will have tah carry mah case, mah imaginary friend hurt his back way back when."

* * *

"Ah ain't gonna ask ya'll again! Where is he?!" I holler darkly, folding my arms and eyeing the bald English sounding guy with a whole heap of suspicion. His legs don't work, but it don't mean I'm gonna be polite or nothing. His mouth works, he already said hi to me. And folks with mouths don't like me much, so yeah, I'm back to being suspicious again.

The geek and the dork drove me to this real fancy looking mansion and all the damn way they play this pop music. Yeah, you heard me right, it was poppy pop stuff. Then they lead me to this office while my ears carry on bleeding onto the carpet. They're both still here now, grinning to each other and seem to be proud of their lack of taste in music. I'd have shot myself if I was them. Heck, if I had a shotgun right about now, I'd go outside and shoot their radio right out the car! Those grins of theirs are real unhealthy too, not to mention creepy, and I'm back to being suspicious again.

This day has gone from bad to even worse. I've been shipped off, abandoned, forgotten and now I'm out my comfort zone. Why are those geeks standing there flashing their perfect, white teeth at me? And if Logan lives here, why ain't he paying more cash to my Mama? If he lives in a mansion, I should be getting loads of money sent to me and everything. And this is a mansion. An actual mansion like out of the movies with creaking wooden floor boards, flowery wallpaper, fireplaces and damn chandeliers. I ain't never seen an honest to God crystal chandelier before, and it makes me wanna throw rocks at it to see if it'll break. I'll tell you something, this place is real crazy and every object I see looks like it's worth a fortune. That vase on the mantle piece over there probably cost more than my mama makes and breaks in a year.

The Professor gazes at me, I suppose how a diabetic stares at a tub of chocolate ice cream. He clasps his hands together and smiles. I get the strange feeling I might have said some of that out loud or something. "You're very much like your father, extremely direct when asking a question. You will find skills like that will come in handy while living here."

"Yeah, that's great , but Ah'm not gonna be livin' here. This is just one of those things where Ah can't label it as a visit, but more of some mighty fight that's about to happen. A couple of days here an' Ah'll be goin' back home."

"That wasn't what Logan said," the dork says, his dumb looking glasses making me snort.

I'm up on my feet before I know it, leaving the comfy chair behind my behind. "Ah don't care what he said an' what's this gotta do with ya anyway? Ya might be Logan's lapdog but it don't give ya the right tah interfere in mah life none."

He opens his mouth to reply but stops when the Professor clears his throat, asking for calm. "Jean will show you to your room, Anna."

I snatch my army green backpack up, saving it from the ugly carpet, and turn a hostile glare on the Professor. "It's Rogue. Mah name ain't Anna, 'cause it's Rogue. Rogue, Rogue, Rogue, but never Anna."

The Professor's rewards my chewing out with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, of course. I apologise, Rogue. Your father should return later tonight, in the meantime if you need anything please don't hesitate to find me."

"Fat chance of that happenin'," I mumble, leaving the study behind. "Ah won't be seekin' ya ass out or seein' Logan, neither. Ah'm leavin' before then."

* * *

I didn't talk to the damn redhead when she led me to my room. At least it's safe to say the dislike is mutual. I'm also thinking the dork is her boyfriend or something. There weren't many other people about when I came up here earlier and I was thankful for that. I've gone and met enough losers to last me a lifetime. I bet Logan fits in here perfectly. Yeah, they must love all his deadbeat dad qualities and I don't give a shit about my own kid attitude.

It's near on midnight and I haven't left this room since I first arrived here. It's real grand in a way, the bathroom is even bigger then our kitchen at home. I even have a fuckin' double bed, but it just ain't me. This place makes me nervous and I really don't want to hang around here waiting for him to return. He can't be back yet, he ain't shown himself and it pleases me real bad 'cause I'm all out of bananas.

Heck, I've waited long enough now, only until I'm sure everybody's asleep. I'm going make a run for it. I have it all planned out, right down to the hitchhiking and what pair of sneakers to wear. Nobody can ever accuse me of not being damn organised. Sure, I can't take my case with me, but I've sorted through the important stuff. I left most of the useless crap like clothes and my toothbrush, and brought my discman, CD's - You know, stuff like that.

Now, here I am, creeping through the kitchen, while the whole mansion sits in darkness, and I don't dare switch a light on. I'm gonna use the moonlight to guide me around the table, and I do just that, shifting the backpack nervously on my shoulder. It's real quiet except for that mighty clock in the entrance hall, but my heartbeat sounds louder than that will ever be. I'm near on eating a heart attack, too. Slipping out the back door, I'm kinda surprised to see that it's unlocked, but take it as a sign to run. If folks leave doors unlocked, then they were born stupid and you've gotta love them for it a million times over.

Picking up my pace in the garage, my heart's now thundering in my throat, and I spot the garage doors, thankful they're already open. This almost seems too easy for me, but I brush off that suspicious feeling again and with a squint of my greenish-grey eyes, I can just make out the gates at the end of the long, gravelled driveway. I can climb the wall, maybe a tree and leap over to freedom. If I don't twist an ankle or break a bone, I'll sprint to the end of the road and wave down a passing car or something. That sounds like a plan and to celebrate it, I wipe my clammy hands on my jeans. I'm acting like a pansy again and I wonder if I inherited that from Logan. Smirking, I walk out the garage, nearing the holy grail of freedom, when a gruff voice to my right makes me close in on my heart attack.

"You going somewhere, darlin'?"

My hand strangles the strap of my backpack and I gulp because I recognise the voice and I ain't heard it in six years. It's been a real long time and I'm refusing to even look at him, let alone form the words to answer his question.

Logan steps out the inky black darkness, the moonlight casting shadows over his face, and I just had to look, damn it. I'm curious and this is a guy I ain't seen since I was seven, but he doesn't seem a day older. Everything is the same about him; the smell of the smoke, his lack of style. He's probably even wearing the same clothes!

He stops in front of me, smoking a cigar and he casts a dark look over my face. I ain't got a clue what he's searching for but I glare back 'cause I can. I can't believe I got caught sneaking around by him. My Mama never catches me when I'm sneaking out, and I thought he was supposed to be away doing more important things, huh? If he's back why don't he come and say hi or something? I was only upstairs on my lonesome, not the other side of the world or nothing.

Anyway, this is the moment I decide to stop acting like I'm scared and I scowl instead. I need to leave and even he can't stop me from going back to Mississippi. "Get outta mah way," I demand, close to stamping my foot and my voice sounding stronger then I feel.

"I don't know what it was like back in Hicksville, but we got rules here," he growls lowly over his cigar.

My eyes widen slightly at the insult, but I brush it off. I've been called worse and my best friend Cody is the king of the put downs. He taught me real well and I ain't got no problem with dishing the insults out where Logan's concerned. "Ya name might be on mah birth certificate, but that's all it is: A piece of paper and a name. Ya nothin' to meh, ya hear? One quick fumble in the back of a truck with mah mama don't make ya nothin' in mah life!"

Logan raises his eyebrow and plucks his cigar out of his mouth, pointing at me. "You might want to watch your mouth when you're around me, kid. Take that whichever way you want, but it's your first warning."

I glare back at him, the anger rising and my grip tightening on my backpack. Heck, I wanna throw it at his head, too. "Who the hell are ya to be warnin' meh?" I snort, rolling my eyes. "Ya ain't mah daddy, not really. They shoulda just printed the word 'dick' on the birth certificate, 'cause that's all ya were an' ya still ain't nothin' but a dick. Ya were nothin' but a sperm donor neither, an' now ya just actin' like a some bigger dick tah meh!"

He shakes his head with a sigh and crushes the cigar under his boot. "Whether you like it or not, I'm your dad and you-" Logan grabs hold of my upper arm and swings me around. Before I get some chance to ask him what the hell he's doing, his hand bounces off my butt with another four hard cracks landing on the exact same spot. He's damn well leaving a set of ape-like hand prints on my ass, too. "Are going to learn some respect, kid." He turns me back around and puts both his hands on my shoulders. "That counts as your second warning. I catch you sneaking out or hear you talk like that again, I'll throw you over my knee and let my hand do the talking on your bare backside."

My free hand, meanwhile, finds its way to my butt as I try to rub the sting away. The United States of Suck is a messed up country if this is legal and what the fuck are his hands made of, metal or something? Damn it, I forgot how much it hurts when he hits out at my attitude. I ain't been spanked since I last saw him and I threw some tantrum he weren't tickled over. My mama was never too fond of Logan when he walloped me good and proper. She don't believe in beating her kids and I'm starting to hate her a little less now. I blink away the angry tears and stare back at him. "Ah hate ya," I whisper hatefully, wanting him to now all about how I'm feeling right now.

He straightens up and stares down at me with a real menacing look. "You've got two minutes to get back upstairs to bed and hate me there. You set foot outside your room again tonight and you're going to hate me a hell of a lot more."

I don't move, but he takes one threatening step towards me and my stubbornness crashes. "Ah hate ya, Logan!" I snarl, running for my room. "Ah hate ya!"


	2. Reluctance

**Many people are adding this story to their alerts; Thanks for that. And a thank you to Sasha Snape for adding this to her favourites.**

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**The Hard Way:**

**Reluctance**

* * *

I can't believe Logan acted like a caveman last night. It's the first time he's seen me in six years and the guy hits me. Did he expect me to be real polite to him after all this Goddamn time? I didn't even get to ask why he's ignored me for almost half my life, not that I care 'cause I don't.

My mind kept replaying his threat over and over till I fell asleep. I stayed in bed knowing he probably meant every word. If there's one thing I remember about him, it's that he always does what he says he will. Like when I was five and he promised he'd take me to the play park but he wouldn't go on the swings. He took me to the park and didn't go on the swings.

When I was six I told him I didn't like my Mama's new boyfriend because he kept shouting at me. Logan told me he'd sort it and he did. I never saw the guy again but I heard he broke his nose when he walked into a door. My Mama dumped him that very same day. Not that I believed everything being fed to me. I ain't stupid and knew better – Logan had hit him, then thrown his ass out onto the street. I was upstairs watching from my bedroom window.

Every time Logan made a promise to me he kept it. When I seven he told me if I didn't start behaving I'd be in big trouble and earn myself a spanking. He was supposed to be taking me to the county fair that day- I didn't get to go because I didn't behave. That was the last time I saw him and I spent half the day throwing tantrums and the rest in bed crying with a red ass.

Maybe that's why he never visited again; I didn't listen to him and I pushed him away because of it.

I'm probably reading too much into it and last night. I can be a little full on sometimes, Cody tells me that all the time. He says it defines the person I am and who I want to be. Like I wanna be a person people take seriously but not so seriously I scare the living shit out of them. Nah, I do wanna scare the living shit outta folks.

Those are Cody's words and he's pretty bright when it comes to that type of stuff. That's why I think he'll make gang leader some day when we're a little older. If that happens I'll be second in command, he told me so – I'm always drawn to folks who keep their promises.

I put the finishing touches to my make-up and step back from the mirror. I still ain't very good at putting the eyeliner on but when I make a mistake I can smudge it and it looks better, almost perfect. I hate perfection, however this is my face I'm trying to make better, not worse.

It's midday and I slept until late ignoring the shouts from whoever else lives here and wakes up before six. People really do get outta bed before six and they're even awake enough to start arguing outside my door about some kind of room. It might have been danger room, I'm not quite sure. They stopped when I screamed at them to shut the hell up.

With a final look in the mirror, I grab my backpack and let myself out of the room and head in the general direction of the stairs. I'm hungry and make my way down to the kitchen. I realise I ain't eaten since the train journey and that's not uncommon. Sometimes I go a day without food, I just get real distracted. The time when another gang came onto our territory and we all had to fight was one of those days. Cody got beaten pretty bad until Caleb hit the other boy with a crowbar. I didn't eat that day because I worried about Cody and he couldn't eat with his split lip and broken tooth.

It makes me shudder just thinking about the state Cody's face was in. He has a scar on his lip and he thinks it makes him look cool. I ain't so sure, I remember the boy smashing his face into the curb and how close he came to having his brains decorate the sidewalk.

Hovering in the doorway, I glance at the two people seated in the kitchen. There's a woman with a shock of white hair, she's striking and she smiles at me and then there's Logan – He's not so beautiful and merely glances at me over his newspaper.

"Oh, Logan. Don't tell me this beautiful girl is Anna? Your words didn't do her justice," she scolds lightly, her plump lips breaking into a serene smile.

Her comment draws a grunt from Logan and he goes back to reading his paper.

She walks over to me and pulls me into a warm hug. I kinda return the gesture and briefly wonder what they put in the water here. Everybody seems to be real polite except Logan. But he lives off cigars, black coffee and beer, and every folk knows they ain't for polite people.

I dunno what to do now 'cause standing in this kitchen is making me feel awkward. I'm more used to arguments when I first wake up, so when the woman finally releases me, I sit at the table and stare at the floor.

"My name's Ororo and it's lovely to meet you. You might also hear people call me 'Storm', but when I'm not in uniform or an a mission; I'm just Ororo."

This lady has completely lost me.

"Ah don't understand none,"" I admit softly, meeting her eyes and placing my backpack on the ground. "Why would folks call ya Storm? Is it a nickname or somethin'?"

She looks over at Logan from her place at the refrigerator. "Have you not explained to her what this mansion is for?

He turns a page in his paper and shrugs, not bothering to make eye contact with either of us.

"Goodness, look at the time! I'm visiting my sister today, I should have left ten minutes ago. I'll be back this evening though and if your father still hasn't done his job and explained certain facts to you, we can talk then."

She throws a pointed look at Logan and he arches a bushy eyebrow at her, watching her sweep gracefully out the room.

It's just me and him now and I feel even more uncomfortable then when I arrived yesterday. I have no idea what to say to him and even if I want to start a conversation in the first place. There are loads of things I could say but I'm too stubborn to tell him I've missed him. I decide the best thing to do is leave before I do something really stupid and, I dunno, try and have a real talk with him or something. Standing u,p I throw my backpack over my shoulder and start following in Storm's footsteps. I have little else to do and she walks with such grace it's unreal. Yeah, I know I'm crazy. If you'd met my Mama, you'd know why.

"Sit down, kid."

The tone of his voice tells me I'd better do what he says. But my head is growling a real different tune.

"Ah'm goin' for a walk," I mutter over my shoulder, scowling at him.

He still doesn't look away from the paper none. He reaches for his coffee and frowns at whatever he's reading. "No, you're sitting down."

Stopping at the door that leads to the garage, my pissed nature starts to grow real bad. "_No_, Ah'm goin' for a walk. Ah don't see the problem."

That gets a reaction. Logan folds his paper, and mug in hand, he leans back in the chair, eyes narrowing. "Your attitude's the problem. Now_ sit_ your ass down."

I snort at him. "Ah don't have no attitude an' Ah wanna go for a walk."

He's silent for a moment or two, mulling over whatever he's thinking in that real small brain of his. "Darlin', you've had an attitude since the day you were born," Logan grumbles, drinking from his mug and grimacing. "Damn coffee's cold."

"How would ya know, huh? Ya never saw meh," I snap, ignoring his line about the coffee because it has no freakin' bearing on what we're discussing right now.

Now it's his turn to snort and he shakes his head, standing up."I saw you plenty of times. You spent most of my visits misbehaving or over my knee. Which is where you're headed if you don't drop that charming attitude of yours."

I think back to last night and eye his hands as he pours the cold coffee down the sink. Sometimes I wish real bad I was adopted. Who in their right minds would want a dad like Logan, huh? He don't back down none and he's real old fashioned. Cody don't get spanked. Though, his dad spends most of his boring life on an oxygen tank 'cause of his lungs.

"Ya live in the dark ages, Logan. Folks don't spank their kids no more, it ain't decent."

"Oh, so it's Logan now?" he grunts, sounding amused, and opening the fridge door. He grabs a bottle of beer and closes the fridge, leaning against the counter. "And I'll stick with what I know, kid. But once you quit acting like you were dragged up without learning right from wrong, I might be willing to reconsider my stance on walloping the stupidity out of you."

I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and open the door, sliding one sneaker-covered foot over the threshold and drawing a heavy sigh from him.

"Talking of being stupid, don't even think about taking off. Now close that door and sit down. We need to talk."

"Ah just wanna go for a damn walk, that's all. An' Ah ain't gonna carry on talkin' tah somebody Ah hate."

"I'm running out of patience," he growls simply, opening his bottle of beer and tossing the cap onto the counter top.

"Then that's part of ya gettin' some exercise."

Logan gulps down his whole beer, and I stare at him, kinda wondering if he's related to wolves or something. The guy must have been really thirsty. He throws the empty bottle into the nearby trash can and crosses his arms.

"My patience matches your mouth: It's always running. So quit testing the boundaries and sit down before... Damn it!" he snarls, his eyes flickering to the door. "Chuck's calling."

I didn't hear nobody shout and I'm sure I ain't about to go deaf or nothing. I watch Logan mutter and push himself off the counter.

"I have to go see what he wants. You stay here and get yourself something to eat."

Nodding my head, I stay where I am, not bothering to answer. He doesn't move from his spot on the kitchen tiles, his right foot tapping against the floor as he glares at me.

"Kid, I mean it, don't go out there," he warns me, hands deep in his jean pockets and wearing a furrowed brow. "There's plenty of food to stuff your face with here. You can help yourself to the candy for all I care."

"Okay." I mutter, avoiding his eyes and looking at my shoes instead.

With one last look at me, Logan stalks out the room to search for that Professor guy, and I huff. He's so gruff and he makes we wanna act out even more. My Mama backs off when I'm in one of my moods, she don't push me none. But he don't care if I'm pissed 'cause he's kinda tough.

The walls are closing in on me here and I need to go outside and collect air or something. I don't get told what to do, I'm thirteen not three. Cody would be ashamed of me right now. I'm acting like I've lost my mind and I ain't done anything bad since I came here on the train. I don't really act bad, I'm just me. Ive not done something that screams 'Rogue!' in the faces of these assholes yet, either.

Jogging over to the fridge, I throw the door open and push the vegetables aside. I smirk when I spot a bottle of beer, and unzipping my backpack, I drop the bottle in there. Glancing around the kitchen I decide it's about time I get the heck out of here and explore this town.

* * *

This ain't just about getting back at Logan and flipping him the bird. Well, it is kinda, but I also want to be outside and not stuck in that messed-up house. It ain't much of a house, it's more a pile of bricks dressed in that bald guy's ego. Still, I don't want to be there, I wanna go home. Not to Raven and Kurt but my real family: The gang and Cody.

I miss them already and it ain't even been two days since I last saw 'em all. Everything that's happened over the last few days is bullshit 'cause I shouldn't be here none. Logan don't want me, look at the way he acts, huh? That screams, 'Ya ain't mah kid none, ya brat!'

I stop beside a tree and remove the beer from my backpack, wondering how the hell I'm gonna open it. After all, it ain't like I brought a bottle opener with me 'cause that would make me smart, and I ain't smart.

I've never tried beer before. My Mama don't buy it, Kurt ain't the type to be breaking rules and it's never crossed my mind to steal booze till today. Steal other stuff, yeah, but I've never touched liquor with my hands. Damn it, it's like everybody's pushed me away so I don't give a damn no more. I'm gonna try everything and if people don't like it none, they can go to Hell and everything.

Brushing the bottle tip over my lips, I think about chewing it off, until a snap of a branch shakes a frown out of me.

I'm in the woods, alone- That ain't creepy in itself. But I feel like I'm kinda being followed. Ever since I left that mansion I've felt real uneasy.

"Ah know ya there!" I yell, kicking my ass 'cause I sound like I'm choking on fear while I shout.

A rustle in the bushes makes me jump, and I slip the bottle back in my bag. I slowly back away and walk into a tree, the whack to my head doing me some good. Nah, I'm just being stupid, there ain't nothing to be scared over.

The rustle turns into a roar and a guy with wild hair, fangs and a twisted look on his face is leaping out of the bush and right at me.

"Shit on a shit!" I yelp, scrambling away.


	3. Readjustments

**There's more of a sarcastic, vengeful and sinister streak to my version of Sabretooth. He talks more, fights less. That is when he's not face to face with Wolverine – The man is a mute fighting machine where Logan is concerned.**

**Bluerose88, Ravenswing and Sasha Snape: Thanks for the reviews; my first ever!**

* * *

**Readjustments**

* * *

I jump left, then right and I'm vaguely aware if I place my hands on my hips and thrust about I'll be doing the Time Warp dance, but I can't decide which way to run. It's like this whole scene is happening in slow motion, yet the scary blonde with the fangs and claws is getting nearer.

Certain death or whatever he plans to do to me is getting closer each second and I'm God damn dancing - Badly!

Swinging round the tree, I leap over another bush and start to clamber up a muddy hill as fast as my terrified feet will let me. That isn't very fast because the mud is wet and every time my feet connect with the ground they sink and I start to slide further downwards towards the jaws of craziness.

The guy was hiding in a bush, that's how crazy he really is. He might even live in these woods and attack every girl he comes across. They could be buried out here in shallow graves.

"Shit!" I cry, dropping my backpack and my hands scramble to hold onto dead roots peeking out from the earth. He's gotten hold of my ankle and the bastard is pulling me down.

"C'mon, little girl," he says dangerously, his yellow teeth and fangs looking even more disgusting in the afternoon sunlight. "No need to be _very _afraid."

Those words draw a curse from my lips when I tumble down the hill, landing right in front of him on my side. I swear I just broke every one of my damn ribs and I groan against the leaves and dirt.

"What do ya want with meh?" I demand, glaring up at him.

He grins and crouches down, his nose close to mine and sniffs. "You smell like them both. A runt and a whore."

I scowl at him. "Ya wouldn't know a bar of soap if somebody rammed it down ya neck, ya crazy asshole." I sit up and he doesn't move an inch, only sniffs me again. "So don't ya go commentin' on mah personal hygiene."

He throws his head back and laughs, although its more of a roar that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"You're just like your whore of a mother."

My eyes narrow at his comment. "Ya'll were both in the same padded cell, were ya?"

Leaning closer, I think the crazy asshole is going to slap me across the face until he holds his hand out in front of me and his freakin' nails – They extend, grow. They're even longer now.

My eyes dart from his hair, to his fangs and then his nails. Oh my God, he's a mutant. I attempt to cover my astonishment and slight nervousness with sarcasm.

"Ya gonna have tah do better then _that_ tah impress meh," I snort, rolling my eyes and leaning back against the foot of the hill. "It ain't scary when all ya look like is a seventies reject with poor hygiene issues. Ya ever visited a hairdresser? An' what's with those clothes, do ya live in that bush ya leapt from?"

He smiles but isn't a soft and warm one, it doesn't even reach his eyes. "The runt didn't train you well, did he? Anybody would think he wants you to get captured, maimed - _killed_."

The crazy asshole emphasizes his words with a nail to my cheek and I hold my breath. It don't draw blood, it hurts though and I carry on glaring.

"Ah ain't gotta clue what ya talkin' about."

"Your mother was mine first; we did all the _fun _stuff. The fighting, the screwing, then one day she meets the runt and the blue whore leaves."

My eyes widen and I snort. "Ya tellin' me all this crazy horror movie crap is over ya havin' ya mutated ass dumped by mah Mama years ago?"

"Little girl, I'm not the only mutant. The whore and the runt have lied to you all this time." He grins as he spits out his words with malice. "Aw, didn't you know your parents were just like me? The runt especially. He's killed more people then I have. Who knows, hopefully you'll be next."

He stands smirking at the look on my face and stalks away, the sounds of sticks and branches breaking under his crazy weight snapping me out of my trance. Reaching for my backpack, I hug it to me, his voice repeating itself in my head.

The crazy asshole knew I didn't know, he's just trying to get back at my parents through me. Maybe he's lying, he is crazy after all. But why did he say they were mutants, he could have said a million other things. What's wrong with being a mutant anyway?

Logan's a killer, too. My Mama's a blue whore and she slept with that crazy asshole. Ugh, she was with them both at the same time. Why don't I know Raven and Logan are mutants, that they have powers?

No, what if the crazy asshole is my real dad. He could be if she was sleeping with the both of them at the same time. Hell, she tells me I can't wear a short skirt but goes around sleeping with guys that murder people, live in bushes and don't wash. It don't make no freakin' sense to me.

This is a real mess. I wish I'd stayed in the kitchen and eaten the damn candy. But if I'd done that I probably would never have found out anything. I wonder what else they've kept from me.

Resting my forehead on my bag, I screw my eyes shut pretending it hasn't just started to damn well rain and I'm not lost in the woods in a strange town. That and my unwillingness to even stand up and find the way back to the mansion has put me in an even fouler mood. Although the anger could be blamed on my parents lies or their inability to even tell a truth.

There's nothing wrong with a little mud anyway – this ain't my favourite pair of black tights and my denim skirt probably needs to soak in the tub overnight to get all the grass and mud stains out.

I cuss under my breath when I hear heavy footsteps, more rustling and I don't look up. I hope the crazy asshole has returned to kill me. That way I won't have to learn how to use one of those washer dryer combos.

A familiar growl makes my eyes snap open and I glance up into the furious face of Logan.

"You're in big trouble, kid."

* * *

He dragged me outta the woods without a word but I could see he was on edge. The way Logan kept cocking his head to the side and sniffing reminded of the ass from earlier. I wondered what it all meant and if it had something do with their mutations as I stayed real quiet.

I weren't exactly scared, I was just too angry to even form no words. They both lied to me and the guy with the crazy-assed hair had been the only one to tell the truth.

Logan only ordered me in the van, slammed the door shut behind him and growled all the way back here. Back to the mansion we went and into the Professor's office. I was dragged here, too. I was still real quiet and didn't even say a word to him 'cause Ah ain't happy none.

He's still growling at me now as he leans against the desk, his huge arms crossed over his chest. The dork and the geek are here again, and the Professor is sitting behind the desk Logan has parked his fat ass on.

"Anna, would you like to start off by explaining what happened to you when you left the institute's grounds?"

I glower at him. "Ah've already told ya mah name's Rogue. Get it right."

If the Professor found my mouth rude, he don't show it. The dork and the geek shake their heads and the ever-growling, lying runt immediately let's me know that he don't approve none.

"Your attitude isn't helping your cause and I've had enough of your mouth today, so I suggest you answer the man's question."

"Or what?" I ask through a scowl, sitting back and folding my arms. "Ya ain't gonna tell meh ya'll mutants? Well tough shit, Ah know already"

"Watch your language," Logan orders returning my scowl.

Who does he think he is sitting there and telling me what to do after everything I know about him? He even took off and vanished from my life. He's a cold- blooded killer and he sits there acting all high and mighty over my cussing. It's bullshit!

The defiance flashes in my eyes and I can't bite my tongue 'cause I don't wanna. "Screw ya and ya rules, _runt_."

His nostrils flare, he pushes himself off the desk with a growl and moves at a lightening speed, whipping me right out of the seat.

"You've had enough warnings," Logan snarls, as I fight his tightening grip on my upper arm. He sits down on the chair and pulls me over his thighs. "You're going to get your hide tanned real good, Anna Marie."

"That ain't mah damn name!" He flips my skirt up and his hands go to the waistbands of my tights and panties. "Get the hell off meh!" I scream, fighting to get up off his lap and escape.

I'm real aware there's witnesses and I ain't going to be spanked in front of them, or at all!

Logan secures me in place with a hand to my back and I feel the cool air brush against my bare skin as he lowers my clothing to just below my thighs. "Ya can't spank me, Ah ain't a little kid!"

"I can and I will." He grumbles in reply, shifting me slightly and without warning he slaps his large calloused hand down on my bare butt. "You're acting just like a kid throwing a temper tantrum."

I gulp as the rapid spanks carry on at a fast pace, and the dork and geek excuse themselves from the room. I don't miss the smirk on that bitch's face as she closes the door behind her. I swear I'm going to get her back if it's the last thing I do. "Yeow!" This is a load of real shit 'cause I'm face down over his lap, struggling to get away from his hard hand as it meets its target every time without fail. "Stop it! Ya can't do this!"

I throw my arms back, covering my poor backside from Logan's punishing hand and he stops spanking me. I almost breathe a sigh of relief until he pins my arms behind my back and carries on regardless.

"Like hell I can't," he responds calmly, picking up the rhythm. "And you're going to watch that mouth of yours from now on. You understand?"

I kick my legs and grunt in pain as the realisation I'm being spanked on the bare and there's nothing I can do about it slowly sinks in.

"I said, _do_ you understand?"

Glaring at the carpet, I'm not in control of what's happening and I hate that. I. Hate. It. "And Ah said screw ya and ya bullshit rules!" I screech, feeling his body turn rigid as soon as those words leave my big mouth.

A tonne of sharp swats are delivered to my thighs quickly and for the first moment in a long time, I feel like I've overstepped the line real bad. The pain is even worse then before and the tears start to fall. The salty water gushes down my cheeks like a waterfall and I bite my lower lip.

Logan's hand keeps falling against my burning flesh and he works on the undercurve and the tops of my thighs. I know it's called the sit spot and I also know I won't be able to sit for the next month.

My backside is on fire and I'm all snot and tears. It feels as though Logan is making up for lost time and he ain't going to stop any time soon. The pent up anger in my body dies with each and every whack and I sob into his denim clad thigh, laying limp over his lap. He starts to crack his palm over old, thoroughly punished ground and I lower my head, shedding more tears. I don't think I can take any more and my voice breaks as I whisper "Daddy..."

My spanking stops as quick as it began. Logan carefully pulls my panties and tights back up, placing me to my feet beside his chair and directly in front of the Professor. I wince trying to rub the sting away and step from foot-to-foot. I forgot the Professor was still here but don't feel the heat rise to my cheeks, it's all settled on my butt right now.

"You going to listen to me now?" Logan asks and I turn to him.

He don't look angry no more and I'd place a bet all his anger is what's making my ass cheeks throb to the beat of an imaginary dance tune.

"Yeah." I mutter my voice hoarse from the crying.

Slouching in his chair, he seems satisfied by my answer and smirks. "Smart girl," he acknowledges, crossing his arms. "You might want to ask her the question again, Charles."

The Professor smiles slightly and fixes me with an apologetic look. "Rogue, can you please tell us what happened when you left the institute."

Continuing to shift from foot to foot, I frown when I realise it doesn't relieve much of the pain and choose to concentrate on answering the question instead.

"Ah went for a walk in some woods," I sniff, staring at the patterned carpet.

"And the rest, kid," Logan adds with a knowing look. "Sabretooth's scent was there and it was fresh. So start talking."

"Is that ya mutation, that ya able to smell people an' stuff?"

"Part of it, yeah," he answers slowly, "That all you spoke with him about?"

I shake my head and Logan sighs.

"Please continue, Rogue," the Professor urges me kindly and I'm sure he just threw Logan a warning look. I would have laughed if I hadn't just been spanked within an inch of my life.

"He leapt outta a bush an' Ah tried tah get away, that's why Ah'm all muddy." Looking everywhere else but at their faces, I struggle to put into words what happened. "He- He said some stuff about Mama gettin' together with mah Daddy."

That draws a growled curse from Logan and I stare at him. "He also told meh about ya bein' a good for nothin' killer."

Logan raises an eyebrow. "What else has he been filling your empty little head with?" he demands. I glance away and he grumbles. "He was the reason I told you _not_ to take off."

The Professor clears his throat. "Rogue, I understand that Sabretooth seems like a very credible man, but he's also highly dangerous."

"Less of a man, more of a damn monster," Logan grunts, "And you go and have a nice chat with him. You're lucky he didn't take one sniff of your scent and attack."

I silently stand there caught between feeling like an idiot and beyond the point of patronised.

Lifting my chin up, I frown. "Ah just went for a walk."

"Take another walk to your room, kid, and wait for me there."

My heart instantly drops and I stare suspiciously at him. "Why?"

"Because I told you to. Now get!" he orders, placing both his hands on the arms of the chair and standing threateningly.

My feet are out the damn door and walking quickly down the hallway before I even think over what's happening. My ass still smarts from the whooping, my eyes are probably puffy and bloodshot, my make-up would have run and- Oh shit, I left my backpack in the van and it still has Logan's beer in there.

Taking a sneaky detour, I make my way to the kitchen and stop as I hear voices inside.

"Logan spanked her in front of you? Jeez, I bet she's really embarrassed right now."

"Yes, you should have seen it. She was crying before me and Scott even made it halfway down the corridor."

I don't recognise the first voice, but the latter one I do and she's laughing at me. Her smirking face in my mind crushes out any other thought and I feel my temper crawl up a notch. It doesn't just crawl it freakin' gallops.

She might be older, her hair might even match the colour of my ass right now. But there's one thing she'll never have and that's my temper. The same temper that's demanding I make her life a living hell. I just can't decide whether to start right now or obey Logan.


	4. Reflections

No new reviews which is a shame, but thank you to those seven people putting this story on their alerts. And mele7, alienarcher326 and ququaq for adding this to their favourites. Also: xqdel for adding me to their author alerts.

It does mean a lot! :)

* * *

**The Hard Way:**

**Reflections**

* * *

Sometimes I wonder what made me like this. Always angry and ready to tear the heads off preppy, smirking, laughing red heads. It's not just folks with her hair colour that piss me off, it's everybody. They all set me off, every last one of them. They're all bastards telling me what to do, making fun of me, always full of snide comments and laughing at me behind my back. They don't do it when I'm with the gang - They're too scared.

I hate everything so much sometimes all I feel is the anger burning in my veins. All other thoughts are banished and I feel only hatred. It could just be a stage I'm going through or maybe I'll be stuck like this for the rest of my life, hating the damn world and wanting to kick off.

"What is she like?" the other girl asks and I peek through the crack in the door trying to catch sight of her. I can't really see much, only her shoulder and that she's wearing a pink sweater. Who in the hell wears pink?

"Well-"

The geek I can see and she's drinking from her can of soda, twirling her hair around her finger. I wonder where the dork is, I thought those two were joined at the hip.

I wait for her to answer figuring if I don't like what she says I can walk in there and tell her so. Just as she appears ready to talk about me and I feel my heart hammering in my chest - A pissed hand connects with my still smouldering butt and I squeak in surprise.

"When I tell you to do something I expect you to do it," Logan growls over my shoulder and I cringe at the shitty injustice of it all.

I never squeak, I certainly ain't a cringer and I'd usually be throwing an insult right back at the person who even dared swat me. But I doubt that'd be the smart thing to do right now.

My stomach decides to rail-road over the string of curses that almost escape from my lips and I'm actually thankful for that. I turn around to face Logan and he frowns down at me. This guy is always frowning, _always._

"What have you been doing, kid, starving yourself?" he grumbles, putting a hand between my shoulder blades and leading me through into the kitchen.

I don't answer and now I'm cringing big time. Both girls look up at us and I scowl right back at them until they finally get the message and look away.

"Is this your daughter, Mr. Logan?" the girl in pink chirps brightly and I already feel like turning around and stomping straight to my room. It's only Logan's hand on my shoulder that stops me, the goddamn bastard.

"Yeah, attitude and all," he grunts back and guides me to a seat beside the girl and opposite the geek.

I stare at the chair, then back at him. He raises an eyebrow and glares back causing me to huff. I don't want to be here and he knows it. Not that he cares, of course he don't. What the guy did to me in that damn office would really have embarrassed me - If I ever cared what people thought - But I don't. Now he wants me to sit here with these stupid bitches who were making fun out of me minutes ago.

Rolling my eyes, I reluctantly sit down and immediately regret it. The chair is hard and my butt is tender. Spankings should be made illegal, if I was President that's what I'd force onto every freakin' state. Nobody would get away with hitting their kid and if they did, I'd force them to live in a cave until the day they died. It would serve them right.

The pink one and the redhead start to stare again and I cross my arms. "Stop lookin' at meh, will ya. Ah ain't that interestin'."

"Kid, play nice," Logan warns over his shoulder, searching through the kitchen cabinets.

The girls share looks and both appear uncomfortable at sitting in such close proximity to me. They probably think they're better then me or something which they ain't.

"My name's Kitty."

I gaze out the window and watch the trees blow in the gentle breeze, wishing an asteroid would collide with this mansion. That would be a welcome distraction and hopefully it would wipe the grin off that Kitty girl's face. I've never met anybody who smiles so much. She must have a smiling mutation or maybe some mental disorder that makes her grin like a nut job high on crack. There'S a real mighty chance she was a crack baby. She sure dresses like she has serious issues.

"Half-Pint, go get ready for the Danger Room session. Red, you and Cyke are running it today."

Logan tosses a bag of chips on the table and the girls stand up, thank fuck. It was getting annoying trying to ignore them. Especially when they keep looking at me as if I've got an enormous zit on the end of my nose.

They both say their goodbyes, not that I answer, and they're just being politely because he's here. They ain't worth my time anyway.

Logan sits in the seat opposite and I feel his gaze piercing through me. He's even harder to ignore and he ain't even talking. But it still gets to me real bad. Why can't everybody just leave me the hell alone?

"Ya can stop it too," I snap at him, leaning forward with my elbows on the table.

He snorts, nodding at the door. "They're good kids. You'd learn a lot from them if you stopped acting like everybody is against you."

"That's 'cause they are against meh, ya'll are."

"You haven't been here twenty-four hours and you think you've already got us figured out, huh?"

Resting my chin on my hand, I gaze down at the table. I do have them all figured out and I know I don't want to stay here.

"This ain't where Ah belong," I tell him with a withering glare and he doesn't even flinch.

"It's your own fault, kid. You should have behaved at your Ma's," he replies dismissively, pushing the chips towards me.

I'm going to spend every waking moment scowling in this place. I'll probably forget how to smile, but smiling is for chumps and crack babies like that Kitty. The thought of Raven makes my God damn blood boil. I'll always hate her, the same goes for the runt sitting in front of me.

"What did she tell ya?" I'm angry, yet curious and want to know what's been said about me. "'Cause whatever it was, it's a lie."

Logan scratches his heavy set jaw and furrows his brow. "You know what I would have done if the security guard had called me about your little jaunt?"

I shake my head wondering what the heck this has to do with the question I just asked. I suppose I did get my answer, she told him all about the trouble at the mall. Can't Raven keep anything to herself? I've got every right to call her up and ask all about crazy assholes and mutants.

"I would have whipped you with my belt, so be thankful your Ma asked me not to do that. She says she already dealt with it, but I'll warn you now - Pull a stunt like that here and I won't hesitate in doing just that."

Raven actually talked him out of whipping me… with a damn belt of all things! He must be just as crazy as the guy who lives in the bush is. Shit, why would she tell him she dealt with it? She only cried, shouted and cried some more. Perhaps she was trying to protect me? But I thought she hated me and everything I did.

"Come on, eat up. I can hear your stomach and it's annoying," Logan sighs, trying to lighten the mood. I think he's failing bad and it's pathetic.

I reach for the bag and open it; I suppose I can eat at least a little. Although my stomach is now churning at the thought of being spanked with a belt. Jesus, it hurts enough with his freakin' hand. I'd have to wear fifty pairs of panties or invest in a new pair of ass cheeks. This is damn madness. I wouldn't let him anywhere near me if he was swinging a belt around anyway.

"Why would ya even want meh here, Logan?"

That question even surprises me. I don't know where it came from. Well, I do, but I really didn't expect to raise it right now. I want to be alone and I'm sitting here making crappy conversation.

"You going to keep calling me that?" he counters.

"It's ya name."

"Not to you it isn't."

I have a problem with eye contact and my eyes dart from one side of the kitchen to the other as I snack on the chips. My stomach seemed to wake as soon as I put the first salty chip into my mouth and now I'm wolfing them down.

"It's ya name," I repeat sullenly.

"And not what you called me when-"

"It's ya name!"

If he dares even mention me calling him 'Daddy' then I'm throwing this bag of chips at him. There's a chance he ain't even my dad - I start to wonder how to toss that into the conversation. It would be like a giant hand grenade and I haven't even started testing the waters with him yet.

So far I've found out he don't like the cussing, likes to talk about his belt and works with his hands. He also likes to use threats and he actually means what he says. Which is mind blowing because grown ups lie. My Mama always lies, screws around, too.

"Kid, you can holler all you like but it don't change things. I know what I heard and there's nothing wrong with it," he says casually, watching me eat my chips.

"There is if ya ain't mah Daddy. Ya might just be some stranger that did mah Mama."

He arches an eyebrow at my comment and frowns. "This about Sabretooth?"

"Ya sayin' she really did screw more then one person. Was there a revolvin' door in her bedroom or somethin'?" The biting bitterness of my words would shock the average folk, it only makes his frown deepen. "Did ya take it in-"

"If you know what's good for you, you won't finish that sentence," Logan growls, pointing that finger of his at me again. "I couldn't care less if you're pissed at Raven for shipping you off here, you bite your tongue."

I scoff at his words, slamming the bag of chips down.

"Ya ain't mah Daddy, are ya?"

Logan rolls his eyes and my mind instantly pounces on that. Can that mean we really are related or has he just been spending too much time around folks like me?

"Kid, I wouldn't put up with you if you weren't mine. That answer your stupid question?" he grumbles in response.

"Nah, it don't."

It doesn't answer my question at all. It really don't. He could just be saying that. That might even be the reason he took off and didn't come back all those years ago. He could have found out I wasn't his kid.

"Look, I'm not going to keep arguing about this. You're my kid, it's as simple as that."

"What? Ya can't just -"

"Sabretooth isn't right in the head, Darlin'."

I soften slightly at the term of endearment, then kick myself. I'm never soft, and I certainly ain't about to start now. Fidgeting with the chips bag, the rustling fills the silence. What he's saying is true, the guy ain't right in the head, but neither is he. There's something about casting stones at glass houses, but I don't give a crap about all that.

Logan stands up, the sound of his chair moving making me jump - I was miles away thinking about how damn awful my life is now.

"If you've finished eating, you can go to your room," the guy who is probably… Possibly… I'm hoping... Is... isn't my Daddy tells me. It's more of an order really and I might as well have a permanent scowl on my face. I wonder if they have surgeons who do that type of thing.

"What's wrong with meh sittin' here, it ain't against the law is it?"

I can never find the key to switch my big mouth off. It's 'cause I like to answer back, especially when folks keep telling me what to do. To be honest I know he's my Daddy, my gut feeling is what I'm going with even if I still have doubts. Small doubts but they're still doubts.

"Get up to your room and stay there. We still have some business to take care of," Logan sighs heavily, stopping two steps short of the refrigerator.

Shit, I hope he ain't going to fetch one of those beers. He might notice one missing and I don't know how to explain why I'm keeping one in my backpack. I could always say my Mama told me he had a drink problem so I wanted to save him from the booze. Wait a minute ...

"What business?" I ask, not liking the sound of it at all.

"I told you last night what would happen if you snuck out again, and I aim to keep my promise. Now get upstairs."

He's still hovering close to the fridge and even goes as far as reaching for the handle. Of course he stops to snarl at me.

"Ya already spanked meh, ya can't do it again!" I protest, leaping to my feet.

"I walloped you for your mouth, I haven't even got to the sneaking out part yet. But I don't have a problem with tanning your hide for your current behaviour."

My scowl quota for today has just tripled compared to yesterday. I swear I should be given an award.

"Kid," he grunts, opening the fridge door and I wipe my sweating palms on my skirt. "I'm going to count to five and if you're still here I'm going to spank you," He glances over his shoulder and his gaze hardens. "Then I'll still send you to your room and paddle you for sneaking out."

My eyes narrow and I don't move. He couldn't - I mean he wouldn't do that, would he?

"If you don't want to sit comfortably for the rest of the month that's up to yo,." Logan shrugs. "One."

There are many times I've had a torn mind. This shouldn't be one of those times, but it is. I hate being told what to do.

"Two."

I bite my lower lip and don't push my chair in.

"Three."

I look at Logan and he's still staring at me as his hand reached into the fridge. He probably won't realise he's a beer down. I smirk at that.

"Four."

He arches a brow at my smirk and I place my hands on my hips. There's no way he'd do what he threatened. I'm sure he wouldn't - I think. No, I'm real sure. He won't. He really, really won't. Will he?


	5. Realisations

**Teacher's Secretary -** You raise some very good points. Logan is pretty unlikable in this so far, but that was deliberate for the first few chapters. I wanted the readers to understand why Rogue is so angry and guarded, also why she acts like she does. Logan also has his reasons for acting the way he did. You will find out in this chapter, but whether they are good reasons or not, that is up to you to decide.

I like your idea about Remy, I might just use that if you don't mind. She will be getting her powers eventually. I haven't decided how that will happen yet, all I know is Cody will probably be involved. Logan and Raven don't really get along, that is only an illusion. Rogue might think they get along because she feels they're both against her, but she's wrong. They really can't stand each other. That will probably be explored in later chapters. Raven only contacted Logan as a last resort. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

**Southrngrl16 -** Thank you for adding me to absolutely everything and for the review. I agree there isn't enough X-Men stories and there is more classic Logan in this chapter.

**Twinkieshark - **Thank you for the review and I'm pleased you're enjoying the story so far. I admit I'm loving writing Rogue and Logan's exchanges. She will forever have a rebellious attitude and he will never take any shit. That is how my X-Men universe works.

**The anonymous reviewer -** Thank you :)

**The writing in italics will be another persons point of view. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think or if there is anything you would like to see.**

* * *

**The Hard Way:**

**Realisations**

* * *

He hasn't gotten to grips with the number five yet. I think I spot reluctance in his eyes but I can't be too sure. Put it this way - I ain't about to bet my ass on the outcome of our pissing contest. I know I'm tough and all, don't take no for an answer and my anger would implode this pile of bricks with a flip of a switch.

Damn the guy to Hell.

Logan opens the kitchen drawer as casually as they come, pulls out a Goddamned spatula and leans on the counter. He taps the mean looking plastic utensil against his enormous palm and fixes me with a don't-push-it look.

He knows he's got me and I hate myself worse then ever. I'm a chicken without feathers, but I have the freaked look in my eyes like I've spotted the farmer with an axe. Damn, my brain is a great, big ball of shit sometimes.

The Dork chooses that moment to waltz in and his eyes flicker between me and Logan. At least I think they do, I can't really see past all that red. I wonder if he realises red is all the rage down hooker central in Caldecotte. He don't seem the pimp type, but the redhead might have some slutty skeletons in her closet.

"Am I interrupting something?" the big pimping Dork asks slowly, hanging by the door.

"That's up to the kid," Logan replies evenly, continuing to tap that offensive weapon and causing my stomach to twist into knots. It'll offend the hell outta my backside, that's for sure.

Averting my eyes, I huff angrily. "Fahne. Ah wanted tah go up there anyway. Ya'll clowns here."

What a shitty insult to use, I'm officially ashamed of myself right now. Not as mortified as I'd be if Logan hit me with that damn thing in front of the dork though. I've got me some perspective and boy, does it throw new light onto some things.

I slam the refrigerator door shut as I storm to the exit, pushing past the dork and smirking to myself as the sound of his yelped "Hey!" reaches my pissed off ears. Every part of me is pissed right now, but at least I ain't stuck in there with those two knuckleheads.

I stomp up the stairs, cussing under my breath each time I climb a step. This place sucks, it's a rich, over indulgent shithole, and I wanna scream until my lungs explode.

Heading in the general direction of the room they gave me, my hair falls in front of my face and I glare at the floor. I really did chicken out down there and he won because of it. Logan's gonna think I'm a real pushover now. The dork probably thinks the exact same.

These losers are gonna jump to the conclusion they can threaten my ass, I'll be too scared to say something, then they can knock me down with a feather. A freakin' chicken feather 'cause I just acted like a coward wearing a chicken costume.

Doubling back, I realise I passed the room. There ain't a blue vase outside my door, there's a green one with an ugly painting on the wall. Its got horses in it or some shit like that. I dunno, I just don't have an eye for art. But I bet its worth a nice wad of cash to a pawn store and would buy me a ticket back home.

Hey, that ain't a bad idea. If Logan won't take me home, I'll find my own way. I ain't got no cash and this place is full of expensive looking crap. The Professor looks like he's worth millions, he probably won't even miss any of this useless junk.

Stepping into my room, I slam the door closed as hard as I can and eye the heavy lock. Its one of those old beaten up looking ones made of brass maybe. Smirking to myself, I twist it and try the handle - Ain't I just the smartest thing to come outta the South?

I slide down the door, grumbling when my ass still shows signs of the earlier beating when it brushes against the carpet. Logan and his issues ain't welcome in here, and he won't be able to kick the door in if I'm sitting in front of it.

Damn, I'm good.

_Logan scrubbed a hand over his face listening to the girl stamp her feet and swear while she hauled her disobedient ass up the stairs. He was as much to blame for this as Raven was. Though he figured the kid had every right to be angry at the both of them._

_Last night when he set eyes on her for the first time in years, he was taken aback. Gone was the little girl with the cheeky grin and pig tails. She'd been replaced with a dark scowl and a mass of flyaway hair._

_He didn't know what had been happening while he had been away, but it had killed the kid she once was. The girl had a serious attitude problem, no respect for authority and didn't give a damn about anybody but herself. The fact she'd blatantly refused to follow any of his rules, talked backed to him and kept testing the waters was a sure sign she was going to be a handful._

_Luckily Logan was a very hands on type of guy and knew exactly how to dish out the discipline._

_Tossing the spatula back into the drawer, Logan eyed Scott and sighed. _"_What do you want?"_

"_Um-" The boy rubbed his arm where Anna had shoved him._

"_You won't be getting any sympathy from me, if that's what you're hanging around here for," he grumbled, opening the fridge door in search of a beer._

"_No, I just wanted to know if there was anything in particular you wanted us to teach in the danger room."_

_A door slammed upstairs and Logan growled, instantly forgetting about his need for refreshment. That girl was really pushing it. He'd already spanked her once today and she was still throwing her weight around. She already knew she had another one coming, what the hell was she playing at?_

_He immediately snapped the fridge door shut and mulled over his next move for a moment._

"_We've had Sabretooth sightings," he told the boy, his jaw tightening._

_That animal had been close enough to breathe on the girl and he hadn't been there to protect her. That pissed him off but he knew it would never happen again - Logan was going to keep a tight leash on the kid and if he caught one whiff of the mutants scent again, he'd live to regret the day he laid a claw on the Wolverine's little girl._

_Logan knew the red mark just under her eye was a nail mark and he was going to make sure Sabretooth was permanently de-clawed and out of action after he'd finished with him._

"_Is that who-"_

"_Yeah," Logan grunted stopping Scott mid-sentence. "He'd taken off when I arrived or I would have gutted him."_

_Scott frowned at him. "But he heals."_

"_And feels pain."_

_He wasn't about to discuss with a student what his plans were. Killing was all well and good but the instructors here were supposed to set an example. That was something he struggled with everyday, especially with his temper and feral senses. He liked to spend as much time away from this mansion as he could._

"_Look," he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Just work on defence techniques. I'll try and make an appearance before the end. And let 'em know about Sabretooth."_

_Logan knew he could trust the boy to run the session with military precision - Just like he did things almost. The students wouldn't be scared of Scott but they respected him enough to listen._

"_Okay, I'd best get down there. Jean doesn't like it when she has to wait," Scott replied, marching out of the door and Logan snorted._

_The boy was hardly out of his annoying, teen years and he was already tied down. He had a hell of a lot to learn about the female mind. Cyke was in for a shitty surprise because things didn't get better, they got worse the longer you spent with the same woman._

_He thought of Raven and growled. She had been nothing but trouble since the first day he had laid eyes on her. She'd been with Sabretooth, that should have been enough to warn him off her. Damn shame he was an idiot with his head up his ass at the time._

_Still, something good had come out of the biggest mistake of his life: Anna-Marie. Logan has picked the first part of the name, he'd figured Anna was an okay name for a girl. The barmaid at the bar he frequented when he found out Raven was pregnant, she was called Anna. And she scrapped like any other man, could make grown men cry for their moms too._

_Raven had liked Marie, so they'd settled on that. Anna-Marie Howlett. He'd know from the very moment the screaming bundle had been placed in his arms that she'd be a Daddy's girl._

_She stopped crying when he held her, only looked up at him with those emerald eyes of hers. The older she got, the more she became his little shadow. His girl never liked being left behind. She always cried when he had to leave._

_When him and Raven finally split, he moved back to Canada. There'd been some rumours of mutant experiments and he wanted to get to the bottom of it._

_He tried to visit the girl as often as he could. When Logan found out about the son of a bitch Raven was dating, the one making his little girl cry, something snapped. He knew he was being a shitty father, but he was in too deep with the Weapon X Program._

_Beating the crap out of that guy, kicking his ass onto the street and ordering Raven to dump him was all he could do for the kid. He had to get back to Canada pronto._

_The next year, the last time he saw Anna - The shit hit the fan._

_She kept playing up and he knew there was a reason for it. He was the God damn reason for it. The girl wanted attention from him good or bad. Logan warned her enough times, she wouldn't listen and he spanked her. He never liked to do it, but she needed a firm hand. Taking away toys, sending her to her room like Raven did never worked. And he was a straight forward type of guy and a man of discipline._

_If he told her to stop and she continued, the kid was going over his knee._

_Soon after, he received a call warning him that Weapon X were after his ass. They'd put a hit out on his head and he had to take off. The program didn't know he had a family, a kid and he wanted to keep it that way. He needed to protect her._

_That was six years ago and Logan hadn't looked back since. He'd moved into the mansion and joined the X-Men three years ago, but figured she'd be better off without him. How wrong he had been._

_Logan thought about Anna everyday, but never expected a phone call the other night from a crying Raven telling him to make room for a thirteen year old with extra baggage. Sure he'd sent Raven his details just in case, but this wasn't what he'd had in mind._

_The tales of her misbehaviour, the sneaking out, refusing to go to school, the arguments, the stealing - It would never have happened if he had been there to straighten her out. He always told Raven the girl needed to learn her lessons the hard way. And Logan's hand was as hard as they came and certainly up for the task._

_A loud crash from upstairs snapped Logan out of his trip down memory lane and he immediately knew which room it had come from._

_Grumbling under his breath, he opened the drawer again and slipped the spatula into his back pocket._

_If the girl had just done that on purpose - And he knew she probably had - He was going to show her the error of her ways thirteen times for each year of her life._

I've been sitting here ages just waiting for the sounds of his footsteps, for the door handle to rattle, for anything to happen. Not much has, only more anger surfaced. I didn't think there was any room for more but I was mistaken.

I get it wrong sometimes which sucks. But if anyone was to ask, I'm always right.

I'm homeless, my family don't wanna know me and I've just broken the expensive looking lamp when I threw my damn sneaker at it. It ain't my fault, it was just in the way and I throw like a guy all muscles and steroids.

It's half four and I shoulda been meeting the gang at five outside the convenience store three blocks from my house. I'm never gonna get there in time now.

Okay, so I threw my sneaker at the freakin' ugly lamp deliberately. It made me feel kinda better and it improved the room somewhat. Shame there's an identical twin sitting on the table the other side of the bed though. That also sucks.

On a brighter note my ass hurts less and I think Logan's forgotten about me again. I guess Irene's right with that every cloud has a silver lining crap. Shit, I never thought I'd be quoting the stuff she comes out with. I think she's a secret alcoholic myself.

Pulling off my other sneaker, I throw it in the general direction of the bed and glance at the smashed pieces of the lamp. Maybe nobody will notice it's gone. I could always hide it in somebody's else's room and let them take the blame. I wonder where that Kitty sleeps?

My heart almost stops when the damn door handle actually rattles. Jesus Christ, that scared the bejesus outta me. I never heard anyone coming. I gotta have water clogging my ears.

"Kid, stop playing games and open up."

I stay silent hoping he thinks I've run off to join the circus or something as equally dumb. I just gotta stay quiet and he won't know I'm here. I ain't about to hold my breath or nothing, but I scoot a little closer to the wood attempting to listen for any movement outside the door.

"Quit sitting there in front of the door and do as you're told." Logan adds with a growl and I jump in surprise.

What is he, Superman's long lost brother?

I don't panic, I ain't like that. But I don't have no new ideas either. Opening the door don't sound like something I would personally do. Damn it, I'm outta ideas. Have you guys got any you would be willing to share with polite, little old me? I'm in kinda a jam and would really appreciate it. You can have the other lamp, I'm sure it'd look mighty fine in your room. Just help a girl out, would ya?


	6. Recollections

**I'm supposed to be doing homework but my teachers are trying to kill me with a work overload - After weighing up the options, I wrote this instead. **

**I still have Geography, Maths and English homework to do before tomorrow and I'd better get started. Thanks for the reviews and I will get back to you all individually once I have more time. Blame my teachers, they have no life and want the same for their students. Ugh. **

**There is swearing in this. Just to warn you. And the spanking warning still exists in flashing neon letters. **

**Now I really have to do my homework. Please review and let me know what you all think. I'm going to be up late tonight :( **

**The Hard Way:**

**Recollections**

"Open. Up. Now."

Piss off. Piss off. Piss off. Piss off.

"Kid-" He growls, trying the handle again. "Don't be stupid all your life."

PISS OFF!

I ain't said nothing yet. My thoughts are enough to keep me entertained for hours, maybe freakin' days. Climbing out the window don't seem like a smart idea - I can deal with a broken ass, not so much a broken neck but the pain would be the same. I could always flip a coin and make my mind up that way.

Shit, I ain't got a coin. I'm flat broke. There ain't one cruddy dime to my name.

"Anna Marie, if you don't open this door, I swear to God-"

That name - I hate that damn name.

"Will ya shut the hell up an' leave meh alone!" I screech, swinging round and punching the door.

I'm met with a wall of silence and he's finally got the freakin' message. I don't wanna see anybody, especially not him. The folks in this mansion just don't seem to get it unless you scream at them. It ain't just in the water, it's been added to the food and oxygen supply too. They never had a chance those geeks.

I lean back on my haunches and push myself to my feet, smirking at my victory. I thought it was gonna be more difficult then that but he gave up so God damn easily. I think the nerds here have turned Logan into a whipped bitch.

Stretching my arms high above my head, I yawn and make my way over to the bed. I could do with a nap, all this yelling and such takes it outta me.

_Snikt_

That crazy sounds stops me in my tracks and I gaze around the room wondering where the hell it came from. It's gonna piss me off if I don't find the source of the weird noise. I'm _that _brilliant it don't take me long to find it, mostly 'cause the locked door's just been thrown open.

My eyes almost burst out their sockets when they fall on Logan and his right hand.

"What the fu-?"

"Watch your damn mouth." He orders through gritted teeth, slamming the door closed behind him and in three long strides he's towering over me.

I point at his hand and the claws slide back in. Holy shit. "But-"

"No buts." He responds, lifting up my chin with the same freakin' claw hand. "The only butt you should be worried about right now is your own."

I'm met with a steely unwavering gaze and my jaw tightens. He don't scare me with his threats or dumb assed comments. My mama threatens me all the time with the cops or tells me she'll put me in the system. This is the only time she ever went through with anything.

"Ya broke mah lock with ya freaky claws." I snap in reply a little stung he didn't tell me about them sooner.

He lets go of my chin and gazes over his shoulder at the door. "You don't need a lock, you're a kid."

"Ya gonna use the same lousy excuse tah explain why ya didn't tell me about those claw thangs?"

Logan looks back at me and I want to know what he's thinking. Does he even care I'm pissed at him? He probably don't. He's just the kind of guy who goes around breaking peoples locks without giving a shit. Ain't nobody ever told him locks are used for a reason?

They were invented just to keep boneheads like him from invading others personal sanctuaries. I know I've only been here a day and ain't about to stay here or nothing, but for now this is my space and I say who gets to come in here.

"What did you break?"

I snort and he narrows his eyes. Talk about an abrupt change in topics. My daddy has badass claws and he wants to chat about a fucking lamp I broke accidentally on purpose.

"Ya talkin' 'bout _that _ugly thang over there? Ah don't see how ya missed it, ya did walk straight past it an' all."

He pinches the bridge of his nose and I hear him grumble something under his breath, but I don't talk Neanderthal. At least I don't think they've started teaching it at my school yet. Not that I would know, I ain't set foot inside the building for months.

An education is a waste of time and kills my rebellious spirit. I don't need nor want to spent six hours watching my spirit die a painful death. It ain't the way I am.

_Logan was close to losing his infamous temper. So, so, so, so, so close. _

_Karma was biting him in the ass for abandoning his family and he was going to whale the tar out of Karma's tail. He was a simple man with simple pleasures, but this wasn't one of them. Why the hell did he have a child?_

_Oh yeah, he hadn't used protection. _

"_I'm not going to kill her." He muttered under his breath, trying to calm his rising temper. "I'm not going to kill the damn girl." _

_Walking to the other side of the bed, he gazed down at the remains of the smashed lamp. It was an antique, one of Storm's favourites. He didn't care for the thing, but that was beside the point. _

"_You throw it during your tantrum?" _

_He tried to keep his tone of voice flat and waited for an answer. He was curious to see if she would attempt to lie her way out of the situation. Most kids in her position would have been blubbering wrecks by now - His kid only scowled and appeared bored by the whole thing. _

"_Ah weren't havin' no tantrum." She replied curtly. "It jumped off the table all by its lonesome. Ah guess ya could put it down tah suicide. The lil' ugly thang just couldn't live with what it's maker gave him."_

_Logan blinked slowly. The girl didn't take after him, even he wasn't this stupid. He'd asked her a question and she was being sarcastic to him? _

"_Cute." He grunted, not that she paid attention. She looked down inspecting her nails and completely ignored him. "But I think you might want to get over here and pick that up." He told her, his words dripping with authority. _

"_Why? It looks better there then it did on the table."_

_He was now at a loss. She really had no idea how much trouble she was in, did she? And the girl still wasn't bothering to even glance his way. Apparently her finger nails were more interesting then his order. _

_Reaching for his back pocket, Logan held the spatula in his palm and tossed it on the bed. Anna raised her head abruptly and he noted the way her heartbeat accelerated slightly. The room began to grow thick with the whiff of anger mixed with nervousness. _

"_You either pick the lamp up now or after." _

_Logan wasn't expecting her to wave a magic wand and fix it. He wanted her to pick it up and he would find her some super glue later. _

"_After what?" She demanded and he was surprised at her outward calm. Her heartbeat was giving her true feelings away. As was her scent. _

"_You, kiddo -" He said, sitting on the foot of the bed and giving her a frank stare. "Have pushed it too far. If you think I'm going to let you trash this room, you've got another thing coming. I'm not your mother." _

_Anna opened her mouth and he shook his head sternly. _

"_Don't. You'll only dig your ass into a deeper hole. Now get over here, I'm done waiting." _

_Logan snapped his fingers and pointed to the spot on the carpet in front of him. _

"_Ah ain't no dog. Don't ya be snappin' ya fingers at meh. And ya lay a finger on meh and Ah'm callin' the cops." The girl growled sounding so much like him he raised an eyebrow. _

_He would never have threatened to call the cops but her voice carried the same note of warning. He would have been proud of her if she hadn't been disobeying his command. _

"_You're getting double with this-" He informed her, twisting the spatula in his calloused fingers and frowning. "If you don't get over my knee in the next thirty seconds."_

_Logan sincerely hoped that would do the trick. He didn't want to wallop her twenty six times with the spatula - It would likely bruise the girl. All he wanted to do was discipline her, wipe the tears away and try to talk some sense into her empty head._

_This wasn't supposed to turn into one of those punishments that would push her further away from him. She just needed to learn there were consequences to her actions and part of those consequences involved being bent over his knee when she stepped out of line. _

_She took a step towards him then seemed to falter. Whatever battle was going on in her head was still raging because she never saw his arm coming as he scooped her up. Some would say unluckily for her she had come close enough to Logan for him to take matters into his own hands - He called it lucky. Anna was over his knee with her underwear and tights pulled down before the thirty seconds was up. _

"_Ya whoop meh again an' Ah'll call the cops on ya. Ah ain't lyin', now let meh go! _

_Logan brought the spatula down on her backside without a word. He only tightened his brawny arm around her waist when she continued to struggle. He snapped the plastic utensil down on her time and time again mentally keeping track of the number. _

_Her wordless gasps and her nails digging into his leg caught his attention. Her scent was now only pure fury and he furrowed his brows, slamming his chosen instrument against her thigh. _

"_Stop it, Anna."_

_The girl was acting like a little feral with her hand under the bottom of his jeans leg, digging her nails into his flesh. He wanted her to stop - Now. _

_She carried on regardless and he sighed, steeling himself for the task ahead. Nothing ever seemed to run smoothly in his life. Not even punishing his own daughter. _

_He cracked the spatula across her other thigh twice in a row and as hard as he dared. She bucked at that. "Kid, this carries on until you remove the hand." _

_He turned his attention to the other thigh and it quickly reddened with his help. Her heart was now racing and he heard her yelp when plastic connected with bare skin again. His healing factor was coming in handy because the number thirteen had come, gone and been left in the dust. _

_Her hand finally vanished from his leg and with one last hard whack against her rear end, Logan placed the spatula down on the bed. He could smell the tears and sighed. He felt like shit because he'd made his little girl cry. _

_Rubbing her back, he cast his eyes over the red splotches decorating her ass and concluded he had done a fine job. She'd certainly not forget this lesson in a hurry. He held her firmly in place when she went to stand up._

"_We're not finished yet." Logan grunted, shifting her back. _

"_Ya already gonna get locked up for what ya just did." Anna hissed over her shoulder, her voice faltering slightly. "Ya really want 'em tah throw away the key?" _

_He shook his head in disbelief watching the tears roll down her cheeks. "You're getting a little too big for your britches, darlin'." _

_Logan was done swapping words. The only talking that ever seemed to work with her was the type he did with his palm. After the walloping she just took, he couldn't believe she still had an attitude. _

"_This-" He growled, lifting his hand and seeing her eyes widen. "Is for sneaking out today."_

_

* * *

_

"It's over now, Anna."

Bastard. Bastard. Bastard.

He tugs my clothes back up and fixes me with a frown. In response, I pull out all the stops and shift from foot to foot, rubbing my butt with both hands and pray to the ass cheek fairy. I really need a new pair, these have had it.

"Rogue." I whisper, another tear rolling down my cheek.

Logan looks at me and pulls me into an awkward one armed hug. He's still sitting on the bed and I want to ram the fucking spatula down his throat. Then shove those broken pieces of lamp up his nostrils. The lampshade can sit on his fat head as a damn hat. The bastard deserves it.

I choke on a sob and instantly scream at myself in my head for acting like such a wuss in present company. I hear him sigh heavily and he lifts me onto his lap despite my protests.

"What ya doin'?" I grumble, wincing as my ass meets his denim thigh.

"You'd always sit and cry here after I'd spanked you." Logan responds, holding me still and I rest my head against his chest.

Those were the old days, I was younger and actually liked the guy then.

"Ya goin' tah jail."

He chuckles and I scowl. This ain't funny. I don't find this funny and neither does my backside. I try not to get too comfortable on his lap, not to let him back into my life again. I'll only get used to my daddy being here and he'll leave again.

"You've needed that for a long time, kid." Logan grunts, ignoring my snort of disgust. "You know you have."

"Ah thought no such thang." I reply, standing up. I'm stopped by his hand catching my wrist before I can venture far enough to lock myself in the bathroom and go have a little cry.

Logan exhales deeply and tips my chin up. "You being here, it can only work if you follow the rules and drop this attitude of yours."

I take offence to that. "Ah ain't gonna change for nobody, there's nothin' wrong with meh."

"You've been spanked three times today. That tells me something's wrong. It should be telling you the same too."

"Yeah, that ya damn well stink at bein' a parent."

He sighs and glares at me. "Maybe three times wasn't enough? You want another one then you're going the right way about it."

I bite my lip in case more words force their way out of my mouth and attack him. There is no way in hell I wanna go back over his freakin' lap like a little girl.

He gets to his feet and draws me into a loose hug again. I don't move, only stare at the carpet. He ain't got a clue how much I hate him for all he's done. That shit on his lap, snuggling up to him makes me sick. But it was a moment of weakness - It won't happen again.

"I've got to go check on the other brats. Make sure they're not tearing each other apart." He tells me, letting me go and I continue to scowl at the carpet.

Yeah, why don't ya go leave and check on other peoples kids. Who gives a damn about your own you ain't seen in years. The one you've just beaten black and blue. I don't care about myself, so why should you? Fucking asshole.

I wish I had the guts to say it to him out loud and without breaking down like the fool I am.

He points over to the broken lamp. "You pick that up, understood?"

My head nod sends him marching over to the door, he opens it and the words rush outta my mouth.

"Ah don't forgive ya -"

Logan turns around and stares over at me. The flicker of recognition in his eyes tells me he understands the meaning of those words and it better hurt him. When I was little and got my butt whooped, he'd sit me on his lap after and hold me while I cried. Daddy would always whisper in my ear 'You forgive me, Anna?'

Well I don't forgive him this time. I'll never forgive the bastard. Never.

"For anythin'."


	7. Roses

**There is an ulterior motive for posting this very short chapter tonight. I have created a new Evolution role-playing forum and really need new members or I'll be swapping posts with myself.**

**It doesn't matter if you've never role played before because it's easy to do and above all else - It's fun. There is only one character been taken so far and that's Rogue. But every other character is available and you can even play more then one character or create your own.**

**All details are on my profile if you would like to take a look and maybe even join. If you did, I would eternally grateful. I promise fun will be had by all, any pairings are welcome and there is no strict storyline to stick to. Anything can happen in the world of role play. It also helps you write a little better and understand your chosen character more.**

**Again I'll thank every reviewer in a PM, but thanks to Raven34link (Who I couldn't send a PM to) and Maccielo14 for reviewing the last chapter.**

**I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter even if it's short. I will now name this a slight filler but progress has been made - Kind of. At least Logan thinks so. This is my favourite chapter so far and I hope you like it too and will forgive me for the shortness.**

The Hard Way:

**Roses**

Logan clears his throat. I can almost feel the bastard fighting with whatever the heck he wants to say. It's written all over his ancient face, I'm real sure he's gonna talk - Then he marches outta the door leaving me standing here with an ass three times bigger than it was twenty minutes ago.

At least he shut the door. Whoop-de-fucking-do for small mercies. The guy does have _some _common sense after all.

I don't think I've ever hated somebody so much in all my damn life. I wish he was dead. I really, really, really wish he would drop dead.

Did I say the guy had the paternal instincts of a banana? I was being optimistic when I spouted that shit. I'd liken his Neanderthal, butt whooping, knuckle dragging, ass kicking personality to a wild Pitbull suffering from a heavy case of rabies. He ain't no parent and he ain't no Daddy. The guy I knew would never have beat me with a God damn spatula. He always used his freakin' hand.

I shuffle over to stand in front of the mirror, sighing when I see the state my face is in. My mascara and eye liner ran just like I should have done when I got off the train.

Peeling my panties and tights down, I lift my skirt and cringe at the reflection of my ass. The poor dainty thing's never gonna recover from this. The rest of me's pale, my butt is the colour of Santa's damn suit. I swear its freakin' glowing like Rudolf's nose. I could use my ass as a nightlight and I ain't joking.

Hissing when I fix my clothes I glare into the mirror and reconsider my stance on all things angry and argumentative. If I don't do what he tells me and I cuss his ass, what's he gonna do to mine? It don't like being abused and how the hell am I ever gonna sit down again? I'm hurting now and all I'm doing is standing here.

This is all the fucking spatula's fault. I whip around and stomp over to the bed - He left it here the idiot and it's taunting me. It might not talk but I can hear it laughing at me and my ass.

Pouncing on the damn thing in a rage I try to snap it. "Damn ya!" I snarl, gritting my teeth and pushing myself off my bed by my elbows. It's plastic, that's all. Why can't I snap it?

I need me some super strength or a slave with muscles and no mouth to speak of. My mouth never makes friends with anybody elses. Mostly it drives people further away.

I march to the window seat instead, fling open the windows and throw the spatula out watching it soar through the air and land in the grass.

"Take that ya mean assed spatula!" I smirk and slam the windows shut.

Drawing the curtains closed for good measure 'cause I hate the damn sunlight, I flop down on the bed and instantly regret it.

My ass. My ass. My ass. MY FREAKIN' ASS!

I quickly roll onto my tummy and brush the tears away. Shit, I'm turning into such a wuss I shouldn't be allowed to wear green. Why don't they just dress me like the rest of the geeks here? I'll talk polite and curtsy like a fake southern stereotype in a big assed dress and hand out grits and road kill pie.

Burying my face into the pillow I wanna scream so badly. I've gotta hide these dumb tears away from the world even though I ain't ashamed - I'm just angry. Angry at everything and everyone but especially Logan.

I hate his lousy ass and I ain't just saying this outta spite, it's what I truly feel. Besides my sore butt and the rejection from my family, I feel so much anger.

"Ah hate ya, Daddy," I whisper, the tears rolling down my cheeks and onto the pillow.

It don't matter much to me about times or nothing, I ain't got nowhere to be. I've missed the gang meeting and they'll probably kick me out now. No-ones supposed to miss a meeting unless their ass is sitting in a jail cell. I ain't gotta valid reason for not showing my face. There is no why in hell I'm gonna tell them I got spanked. I'd be laughed right outta Caldecotte County and my butt wouldn't be the only thing smarting.

My eyelids grow heavier and I let my ass get whisked off into the land of sleep. My life sucks big monkey balls.

_Logan took the stairs two at a time. He'd finished with the brats in the Danger Room and almost lectured the kids into an early grave. They now knew they needed to be extra vigilant when leaving the grounds and that was him done for the day._

_He still had his little pain in the ass to deal with. Though she was probably the one with the pain right now. The thought he'd gone too far with her earlier and destroyed any chance of making amends had crossed his mind but had been extinguished with the flippant remark she'd made when he left the room._

_Anna still had her attitude intact and she weren't lying when she said she didn't forgive him. She was tough and determined - All the things he would be pleased to see in a new recruit. But this wasn't just any stupid kid._

_He knew this girl well and even if he hadn't seen her in six years, Logan could still remember the way her mind worked. She might have been pissed at him now, but come this time next year her temper and hatred might have cooled somewhat._

_At least a chance would be a fine thing and he just hoped she wasn't going to turn into her mother._

_Letting himself into her room, Logan leaned against the door frame and surveyed the scene in front of him. He cast his eyes over the broken lamp still on the floor and sighed under his breath. Of course she wouldn't listen to him, the girl really was her mother's daughter._

_Then his eyes settled on her sleeping form and all thoughts of dragging her off the bed and ordering her to pick the damn lamp up vanished._

_He walked further into the room, the smell of shed tears causing him to frown. Why didn't he stay here with her instead of acting like an asshole and leaving?_

_The Wolverine never acted like a coward except when he was face to face with one of his biggest regrets. He didn't mean her; his little girl. She would never be a mistake but abandoning her all those years ago no matter what the circumstances was - That was the biggest regret of his life and he didn't know how to explain his actions to her without letting the girl know he was a bastard._

_Leaning over the bed, Logan gently tugged the sheets from underneath Anna's body and turned her on her side to free the rest of the duvet._

_She began to stir, groaning irritably at him with her eyes still closed and he chuckled shifting her back into place on her stomach. He very much doubted she wanted to sleep on her back after the walloping she'd received from him earlier._

"_Go back to sleep, Darlin'."_

_Draping the covers over her body, he tried to ignore the mud still coating her clothes from her little adventure with Sabretooth. The murderous rage returned with a vengeance and Logan's hackles began to rise. He was fully tempted to kick start his bike and go searching for that fucker in the down town bars. He knew where the pathetic excuse for a feral liked to drink and was sure Sabretooth was expecting Logan to go after him._

"_Daddy -"_

_That voice brought him crashing back to earth with a thump and shook him out of his feral thoughts._

"_Don't leave meh again."_

_Anna's words were thick with sleep and Logan knew she was probably not fully aware of what she was saying, but it didn't matter. He would always choose her over shredding that asshole._

_He eased himself down beside her on the edge of the bed and drew the covers tighter around his daughter. Wolverine carded his hand through her hair and waited patiently for her breathing to slow signalling she had fallen back into a deep sleep._

"_I won't," he grunted in reply, the determination flashing in his eyes._

_Logan meant every word he said and there was no Weapon X to come in between him and his family this time. Nothing was going to stop him from being there for his little girl - Nothing. Whatever she needed, be it somebody to wipe away her tears, put clothes on her back, food on her plate, a swift kick up the ass: He would be the one to provide and care for her._

"_Ya promise?"_

"_Yeah, I promise."_

_After a few minutes Anna's breathing finally slowed and he stood up, careful not to wake her. Making his way quietly to the door, Logan barely glanced at the smashed remains of the lamp._

_Tomorrow was another day and he'd be waking her up at dawn. He figured the girl wasn't used to early mornings but that would soon change. Until she was in school he would be giving her chores to do around the mansion. Keeping her busy was the key to her staying out of trouble. Logan only hoped for her sake his plan would work or she would be spending many more nights sleeping on her stomach._

_Sometimes even the gruffest of bastards came up smelling of roses: He mused to himself going in search of beer and a smoke._


	8. Rejoicing

**I'm back to the normal length with this chapter. Not a lot happens but Raven34link who wanted something to happen to Scott and Jean - One down!**

**Also zandra who wanted me to include Hugh Jackman's favourite word 'Panache.' I included it and I'm no longer partying to the dance of the shame beat.**

**The Hard way:**

**Rejoicing**

_Logan scratched the stubble on his chin and glared at the contents of the fridge. Was he a beer down? Shoving the veggies roughly out the way, he counted the row of beer bottles and frowned. He'd bought a six pack, drunk one today which meant he should have had five left._

_There were only four there. Somebody was in deep shit._

_He counted them yet again and growled. Math weren't one of his strong points but he never miscounted his beers. There was a thief here and he was going to make them pay._

_Sniffing, he cocked his head and sighed. There were too many scents in here and there was no way to know for sure who the damn thieving, soon-to-be dead son of a bitch was._

_He didn't think Charles would like him waking up each student to sniff their breath and instantly gutting them on the spot if they reeked of his beer._

_The whiff of perfume caught his attention and he rounded on Storm as she walked into the kitchen._

"_You had one of my beers?" he asked her._

"_And good evening to you too, Logan," she replied with a raised eyebrow, shutting the garage door and placing her car keys in her handbag. "I don't like your foul beer."_

"_My beer ain't foul."_

"_It is and you know I only drink the odd glass of wine," She sat at the table, placing her bag down beside her and kicked her stilettos off. "You're growling."_

_Logan hadn't realised he'd been growling and snatched a bottle out of the fridge. If Storm weren't the one who took it then maybe it was Hank. He couldn't see Charles stealing his booze to chug down. The man liked his expensive brandy and he only drank during the holiday season._

"_What about Hank?"_

"_He's a fan of red wine. Only you drink that foul stuff."_

_This time Logan was well aware of the growl erupting from his lips. "Not any more."_

"_What do you mean?" Storm questioned him._

_Logan stared at her._

"_You can't think one of the students would take your alcohol!" she spluttered in shock. "Are you sure you haven't misplaced it?"_

_He snorted. "I don't misplace my beer. Neither did I forget I'd drunk an extra bottle," he added when he noticed the Weather Witch was about to interrupt him._

_Storm sighed and appeared deep in thought for a few moments leaving Logan ample time to imagine what he'd do when he got hold of his beer thief. A month of back breaking Danger Room sessions, shredding them with his claws, kicking the crap out of their thieving ass - It all sounded good to him._

"_If one of the students has borrowed one of your beers -" She ignored Logan's growl at the word 'borrowed' and carried on. "Then we'll deal with this together. I don't want you frightening the life out of the poor child whoever they may be."_

"_Poor child?" he grumbled. "What about my poor beer? Whoever took it has shit for brains!"_

_Ororo made a noise of disapproval at his use of language but Logan didn't care. He was now getting himself worked up at the thought of somebody helping themselves to one of his Goddamn beers. Nobody stole from him. Nobody._

"_Logan, will you please calm down? This won't get us anywhere."_

_He stopped pacing and leant against the garage door, folding his arms. There was no way in hell he was going to calm down. He had a strong kinship with all his beers right until he'd drunk the very last drop from the bottle._

"_It's my beer, Storm."_

_She laughed and he frowned at her._

"_You're sulking like a child whose had his favourite toy taken away."_

_Logan didn't dignify that with an answer, only continued to frown at the woman until she got the message and quit with the teasing and laughter. He didn't find this funny in the slightest._

_Storm finally stopped laughing and began to massage her left foot. "My sister and Evan are fine. Thank you for asking, Logan," she announced, smiling at him. "Although I still haven't been able to convince her to allow Evan to join us here at the mansion."_

_He grunted in reply and unsheathed a claw, removing the cap from his bottle._

"_And how was your day? I hear Sabretooth was causing trouble again."_

_He glanced up, sheathing his claw and taking a much needed taste of beer. "Could have been better. The girl hates me when she's awake, me and Sabretooth are gonna fight it out pretty soon and someone stole by damn beer."_

"_Charles told me what happened. You should have explained everything to Anna instead of letting her walk into that trap. I can't think what the girl must have been feeling. She must be so hurt!" she scolded him and he grumbled under his breath._

"_Damn it, Storm. I was getting around to telling her and how the hell do you think I felt when she took off?" Logan demanded with a growl. "Now Sabretooth's gone and fucked things up!"_

_Storm arched an eyebrow and gazed at him in interest. "You were scared to tell her, Logan. And punishing her for your mistakes will not have helped your relationship with your daughter."_

"_Hey, she'd been asking for a spanking since she got here. That has nothing to do with what I should or shouldn't have told her and more to do with her testing the boundaries," he snapped back, glaring at the white haired woman. "Don't tell me how to raise my own kid."_

_She cleared her throat and looked embarrassed. "I really shouldn't be interfering in matters that don't concern me. You have every right to spank her and I'm sorry."_

_Now it was Logan's turn to sigh. He'd hurt Storm's damn feelings. He could see where Anna got her mouth from and felt like kicking himself repeatedly._

"_You're entitled to your opinion," he told her gruffly. "Even if I don't care much for it."_

_Logan savoured the silence and took his time finishing his beer. He would pay no mind to what Storm had said. He knew his daughter well enough - Even after all these years - to know spanking was the way to get through her stubborn nature and make the girl listen to him._

_Today had just gone to show he was correct in his thinking. Tucking her in bed, she'd seemed like a different kid. And she had called him daddy. He would never have admitted it to anybody but he was the happiest he had been in a long time - Six years to be exact._

"_I'm going to bed," Storm told him and he nodded. "Goodnight, Logan."_

_He wasn't the type of guy to wish people sweet dreams, so he stood there watching her walk away and casting his mind back over the day. It was one twenty-fours he wouldn't want to repeat in a hurry and he still had a beer thief to catch. That would have to wait until the morning, though his craving for a smoke couldn't._

_Finishing his beer, he tossed it in the trash can as he let himself out of the kitchen and stalked through the garage. Picking up only the scents and sounds of the odd nocturnal animal, mostly owls and mice, he lit his cigar with his lighter and made his way slowly around the grounds - Stopping to check each perimeter and sniff for any sign of Sabretooth._

_That monster wouldn't have been stupid enough to attack a mansion full of mutants but Logan liked to be sure. It was his job to keep the grounds safe and he always did everything to the best of his ability._

_Taking a short cut across the grass, he stood on something and peered down, his enhanced sight immediately pinning the object in his gaze and causing him to chuckle._

_Logan bent down to retrieve the spatula and glanced up at the kid's window. He guessed the utensil had really made an impression on her. So much so, she'd had to chuck it out here and as far away from her backside as possible._

_Chuckling again, he slipped it back into his pocket and continued on his walk the half smoked cigar hanging loosely from his lips._

"Kid, time to get up."

I bury my head under the pillow and groan. I swear everything that happened yesterday is enough to send me to the loony bin and with the parents I've got, I'm surprised I ain't already there chained to a bed and waiting for a lobotomy.

"Hellsthematterwithya?" I mumble, already drifting back into a deep and welcomed sleep.

The pillow being dragged off the damn bed, then the sheets, instantly wakes me up and I crack one eye tired, hazy eye open and glare. I look at the clock by the bed and grit my teeth. That bright, red, glowing number look awfully like a…

"Mah God, it's half five in the mornin'. If the place ain't on fire, Ah ain't movin'."

Even if this place was on fire I still wouldn't move. Fires that start this early in the morning are an inconvenience too many. I don't do mornings, I freakin' hate them and I'm a night owl. I never roll outta bed before two in the afternoon.

"You've got chores to do today," Logan informs me, marching over to the window and throwing the curtains open. "So move it."

"Why the hell are ya openin' the curtains? It ain't even light outside," I snort, reaching for my sheets on the floor. "Ya nothin' but a nutjob an' it's too early. Come back later when ya find ya sanity. Ah'll be more than happy tah tell ya tah go jump in the Hudson River with concrete boots on then."

He does the thing with his eyebrow and in two strides he's snatching the sheets outta my hand.

The Bastard. It's still too early to even fight.

"It'll be light soon, and you've had enough sleep. So. Get. Your. Ass. Up. Now!" he demands, glaring down at me.

He's right, it's already getting light out there and I feel my poor eyelids drooping as I try to talk him into leaving me alone.

"Look, Ah don't know what crazy thangs ya do here with those other geeks, but Ah don't get up before midday."

"You do now."

"No Ah - Hey!" I yelp when he turns the freakin' mattress over and I tumble to the damn carpet, landing on my still sore butt. Shit, I forgot about that. How the heck could I forget about _that_?

Logan gazes down at me with a grin on his face and I snarl at him. He only leans down and ruffles my bed hair causing me to scowl. What I'd do to be able to bite his fingers off right now and wipe the smirk off his face. I would sell my own Mama on the black market for that chance.

"You better be ready and in the kitchen by six. Don't make me come drag your sorry ass down there," he warns me, ruffling my hair one last time and leaving the room.

I turn over and collapse onto my side, snuggling into the sheets and groaning. I wanna go back to bed. Why can't some shitty chores wait until the afternoon? They ain't going nowhere. Better yet, why can't the other geeks do them? Why me, why the hell me?

I caved in, I'm a geek and ya'll have the right to point, laugh and make fun of me. I'm actually washed, dressed and ready - Even walking into the kitchen dead on six in the freakin' morning. Wearing my green hoodie, too. It's kinda muddy but it's gang culture. It don't matter if it's a little dirty.

There's nobody even in here and I huff under my breath. Why did the idiot make me get up if he ain't gonna be here?

Screw that, my eyes are instantly drawn to the garage door and I wonder if I can get my backpack outta the van and the beer into the fridge without being caught. Of course I can, I've got skills and all that shit. I've been trained by the gang for missions just like this. 'Cept, the cops are usually chasing us down, not a nut job with a spatula.

It's worth a try and I'm rushing through the door and trying the door handle to the van before I even know what I'm doing. Luckily the van's unlocked and I couldn't be happier when I'm back in the kitchen with my bag in record time. I could be happier, but people ain't allowed to sleep in this mansion apparently.

Footsteps. Shit. Footsteps!

I'm fighting with the zipper on my bag and I pull the bottle out. My heart's gonna explode, I swear I'm dead. So dead. I'm gonna die in like seconds.

Oh God, I ain't got time to get to the fridge and quickly stuff the beer bottle in the other rucksack lying on the kitchen table. Shoving my bag onto one of the seats, I cross my arms and try to look innocent when Storm walks into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Anna. You're up early, I'm impressed," she says serenely, looking as though she's just returned from a fashion shoot. How the heck does she do it?

"It's Rogue."

She glances at me over her shoulder. "Oh, is there any reason for that nickname?"

I shrug my shoulders and she smiles.

The dork comes rushing in, almost bumping into Storm or Ororo, whatever her name is. He apologises to her and I cover my nose. The guy stinks.

"Would you like some pancakes, Rogue?"

My attention is still on Scott and I don't answer her. He reaches for the backpack on the table, then stops, sighs and jogs back out of the room.

I think I might have dumped Logan's bottle of beer in the dork's bag. Okay, now I'm glad I'm up outta bed and down here. That boy pissed me off the minute I set eyes on his ugly face. And what is _that _smell?

"Rogue?"

"What?" I answer, staring at Storm.

She asks me if I want pancakes again and I nod my head.

Aw, I want the dork to come back in. Now if only Logan was here it could get really interesting. If there is a God up there, I'm gonna kiss him 'cause my prayers have just been answered. Logan's here and he's sniffing. That was one of his mutations weren't it?

The dork runs back in and I try not to smirk.

"You need to lay off the aftershave, Slim," Logan grunts, taking a mug out of the cupboard.

Damn, I bet he can't smell anything over that sickening stench. If I eat those pancakes, they ain't gonna stay down for long. I wouldn't give it five minutes.

"It's Jean's favourite," the dork replies, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Why'd ya take a bath in her perfume?" I question him, thinking out loud.

He stares at me, picking up his bag. "I meant Jean bought me the aftershave for my birthday and it's her favourite."

I don't like his tone of voice and glance over at the adults. They both have their backs to me - Storm's mixing the pancake batter and Logan's snorting ground coffee beans up his enormous nostrils. In other words he's brewing some dark mixture that may or may not be coffee. I'll have to get back to ya on that.

Good. I won't have no witnesses then when I do this.

"I've got to leave early, basketball try outs are today and I want to get a few hours of-"

The dork strolls past me, about to shift his bag from his hand to his shoulder and I trip him up, watching his ass fall to the ground. Damn, he never saw that coming and I take a deep breath, trying to stifle the giggles.

The icing on the cake is when both adults swing round spotting the dork and the bottle of beer both smash to the tiles. I mean it, the boy's face has hit the ground with the same crack the bottle did.

I have to cover my mouth with my hand and stop my shoulders from shaking or I'm so gonna give myself away.

"Goodness, Scott! Are you okay?" Storm cries, rushing over to him.

Logan only stands there his face growing darker by the second. He sniffs once, twice and a third time and even I'm starting to feel kinda scared.

"That's my goddamn beer!" he roars and I actually take a step back.

The laughter has now gone.

The dork splutters, Storm gasps and Logan hauls Scott off the kitchen floor by his shirt. He growls and they're almost nose to nose.

"You take my beer, I take _all_ your free time. No try outs for you, Summers. Your ass is mine. Now get to the Danger Room," Logan commands, shoving Scott roughly to the door.

The dork is still trying to talk and seems to be having a little trouble. The growling mutant stalking after him don't seem to be helping.

False alarm. The laughter is now back and I just got outta those chores. My daddy's forgotten all about me again and I couldn't care less.

I double over with laughter, wiping the tears away from my eyes. Storms stops cleaning the glass up and shakes her head in disbelief.

"Panache."

"Nah, it's Rogue," I whisper, choking on the laughter.

"It's a word, dear. It means to have a flamboyant style of courage or dashing confidence. And it's something I never knew Scott Summers possessed," Storm responds, standing up and brushing the glass into the trash can. "This is so very out of character for him."

"Yeah, ain't it great?"

She looks over at me and I think she's caught me out. Then she smiles. "How many pancakes would you like?"

I'm gonna rejoice - This freakin' morning is the best!


	9. Rules

**New chapter just finished. Slight OOC Jean Grey. Nasty Jean will feature in this chapter. If you actually like her – Um... sorry, I guess. **

**malamysza – Lovely compliments, thank you. I hope you still think the same on all points when you read this chapter.**

**Raye, Tee hee, Kitty, X, Anyone, Dusch – Thank you! :D**

**Raven34link – Still can't PM you. Thanks for the review. I know you will like this chapter! ;)**

**Everybody else please expect the usual thank-you-very-much PM.**

**Before anybody mentions the use of the word "bullshit" in this chapter, it was a challenge. Please direct all complaints to Iamzandra! :P**

**The Hard Way:**

**Rules**

It's seven in the morning and I swear to God I'm seconds away from dying if I don't get some sleep. Screw everybody, especially Logan. He ain't returned yet and I'm feeling pretty damn satisfied with myself right now. Yesterday weren't a good day, but today is shaping up to be something special I'm thinking.

Standing to my feet, I glare at the other students piling in the kitchen and ruining the tranquillity of the place. I ain't much into silence – I'm more of a rocking out, head-banging, crank the music up kinda girl. Sitting in a kitchen at the crack of dawn in complete silence and trying to ignore Storm ain't my thing and neither is staying here to be trampled on by geeks.

Still, silence is golden when you're stuck in a place like this. At least it's golden when you wanna avoid talking to anybody that dresses in pink and sparkles. That Kitty girl is making her way over to me wearing what seems to be a tiara on her freakin' head.

"Anna!" she squeals, making me close my eyes and count to ten.

"It's Rogue!" I reply with a snarl, trying to step around her and flee to my room.

"No, I'm sure Mr. Logan said your name was, like, Anna. Jean, isn't her name Anna?"

Shoot. Me. Please. Shoot. Me.

I wanna snatch the tiara off her head, snap it in half and hope at least one part is sharp enough to pierce through her skull and watch her deflate like a damn balloon. The chirpy little Pink Princess is crappier than a dog turd.

The red headed geek appears looking as perfect as ever and grins at me like the cat that got the fucking cream. I wonder if she knows about her dork of a boyfriend yet?

"Yes, her names Anna," she replies adding her sickening, spotless and p_erfect _two cents to the conversation which ain't happening 'cause I'm leaving.

I might just kill 'em I'm _that _tired and cranky. I'm only young and I need my sleep. If the folks here don't want me to go homicidal on these geeks asses and strangle them to death with my bare hands – Then they need to let me get some Goddamn sleep or at least stay in bed until midday.

"Why don't ya just shut up an' get the hell outta mah way!" I demand, squaring up to the geek and the princess.

I don't care if they're older, I know how to scrap, scratch and throw punches. Pulling hair and slapping ain't beneath me either. And something tells me these two wouldn't appreciate the show I'm gonna put on for them and their friends if they don't move.

The princess looks worried but the geek giggles into her hand, flicking her hair out of her face.

"You wouldn't dare do anything, _Anna,_" she says, patronising me with a pat on the head. "If you did, I'd go tell your dad and he wouldn't be very pleased with you, would he?"

I shove her arm away from me and scowl at her. "Ya think that threats gonna work on meh?" I snort, stepping closer towards her. "Ah don't think so, ya ginger bitch!"

Jean gasps and the room falls silent.

"My hair is _red_, not ginger!"

"Yeah, whatever ya say, fire crotch."

Storm clears her throat and weaves her way through the crowds. "Girls, there is no need for this. You should both know better. Especially you Jean, you're older. And Rogue," she says, turning to me, "I don't want to hear you use those words again."

"Which ones?" I ask, cocking my head to the side and smirking. "Bitch or fire crotch? Personally Ah thought they suited her down tah the ground."

The woman sighs and glances over at the pancakes cooking on the stove. Martha Stewart here is making pancakes for everyone this morning. She'd be a brilliant Stepford wife.

"Anna, please go wait outside in the entrance hall," she informs me serenely, walking back to her pancakes.

Shit, is she hard to piss off or what?

The geek turns her nose up at me and I can't help myself sometimes. "Don't ya wanna know where lover boy is?"

"He's at school. Basketball try outs start soon."

"Nah, not today he ain't." I respond with a fat smirk lighting up my eyes.

It's like Christmas when I spot her face fall. "What do you mean?"

"She means Slim won't be doing anything except school work and Danger Room sessions until he 'fesses up," a voice grunts from the doorway.

I gaze over at Logan leaning against the wall, arms crossed and wonder how long he's been there.

"Wait, what do you mean? Where's Scott?" Jean cries, her eyes frantically searching the room for any sign of the dork.

Yeah, fire crotch – He's crouching under the table playing hide and seek. The damn moron. You just wait, I'm gonna get her back, too. Nobody tries to threaten me.

"Get over here both of you," Logan commands, nodding at me and the geek.

Jean rushes over to him, spluttering an apology for anything and everything. I don't hear her saying sorry for breathing though. I take my time, rolling my eyes all the way and he fixes me with a glare when I finally reach him.

"We got a problem here?" he asks us gruffly, although I think the question is more for my benefit then hers.

The geek shakes her head and I suddenly find my shoes interesting. She's such a freakin' wuss. I love the fact she threatened to run straight to Logan but is now standing here shaking in her frilly, piss soaked panties.

I don't bother biting back the amused snort I've been dying to use for the past minute or so. This is crap. That's the only way to describe this. My Mama is gonna get an earful when I talk to her.

"Go eat your breakfast, Red."

She doesn't even glance my way, but I glare at her until she sits down and Logan snaps his fingers in front of my face.

"What?" I snap, turning my dark look on him.

"You haven't even been up long and you're already trying to start something," he grumbles, gazing over my head and watching the geeks stuff their fat, know-it-all faces.

"Ah've been up hours and Ah wanna go back tah bed."

"Tough. You're coming with me."

With a hand on my shoulder, Logan pushes me out the kitchen, ignoring my protests. This ain't a special day, it's a sham. And I didn't even get to thump the red, preened and proper, perfect little piss ant in the mouth.

_Logan didn't know why he was surprised but he was. He'd watched the girl argue with Red and her attitude was pure Raven. Jean had no chance against his kid – Not with those genes, temper and mouth. Not even the age difference mattered, he would have put his money on Anna beating the crap out of the older girl._

_He had smelt the nervousness coming off Red in waves. The same couldn't be said for his pain in the ass though. Again he shouldn't have been surprised, yet he was. After everything, she still had the guts to roll her eyes and throw her attitude in his face._

_In a way, he was pleased she could stand up for herself. The world was a cruel place and he wouldn't always be there to protect her no matter how much he wanted to._

_Clamping his hand down on her shoulder, Logan led her out the kitchen and through the entrance hall mentally weighing the pros and cons of using protection. If he had have done, would his life have been worse off?_

_He never hated being a father, in fact, it was the opposite. The kid was all he had to show for all the years he'd spent on this Earth raising hell, kicking ass and acting like an asshole. She was the only good thing in his life._

_The work he did with the X-Men he supposed was what Chuck would call a good deed, but he needed more then that. He had to make up for his past, at least the parts he could remember clearly. Some of his Weapon X memories were foggy. Though he'd been remembering more lately and hoped the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. At least where his memories were concerned._

_Logan had a lot of ground to make up with Anna – He knew that and understood he was part of the reason she was so angry at the world. It wasn't just hormones or a teen phase, the girl was messed up because of him acting like a bastard and taking off._

"_Where the hell ya takin' meh?"_

_He quirked an eyebrow and shook his mind free of his thoughts. "The attic," he grunted, guiding her up the last of the stairs and steering her right. "Now might be the time to go over the rules."_

_Not daring to move his hand in case she decided to run, he waited for her to kick off. It was inevitable with a girl who was allergic to rules. She'd always been that way, even when she was first born. Sleeping was something she refused to do, it didn't matter what time of day or night it was. When she was two, she bit Kurt every day for a month. Three-years-old and she could escape from just about anywhere, even her car seat. Aged four and the girl was throwing punches at kids in the play park like a pro boxer._

_The five-year-old Anna liked to pull hair and scream the place down when you tried to stop her doing anything stupid, dumb or dangerous._

_Logan had always spanked her when she had misbehaved, but he wasn't always there to correct her. That's where Raven stepped in and pissed all over his hard work by spoiling the girl and handing her anything she wanted. And that was why they had a major pain in the God damn ass now._

_Anna was stubborn, wilful, bull-headed However you wanted to describe it, she was just that and more. Yet the daddy's girl was hidden not too far under the surface, he had witnessed that for himself last night._

_She was quiet for a moment and looked over her shoulder at him. "What do ya mean rules and why am Ah goin' tah the attic?"_

"_You're clearing the attic today. And you know what rules are, so don't give me that." Pulling her to a stop beside the stairs to the attic, Logan stared at her and sighed. "Kid, don't make this difficult."_

"_Fahne," she scoffed, glaring out the window. "Tell me ya rules but Ah ain't clearin' that attic."_

_He ignored her refusal to clear the attic for a moment and started listing the rules. "I expect your ass in your room at half eight each night. Lights off at nine-"_

"_Half eight? How old do ya think Ah am exactly?"_

"_Don't interrupt me," Logan growled, knowing she'd find that order near impossible to obey. "Yeah, half eight_ _and it'll continue until you earn the right to stay up longer."_

_She pulled a face and he immediately continued, not giving her a chance to voice her opinions._

"_You'll do chores here on a rota, Storm will deal with that. I'll give you an allowance but you ain't seeing any cash until you drop the attitude. You're going to school once I fill the paperwork out." Anna opened her mouth and Logan shook his head. "I don't care if you don't want to go, you're going. Step out of line and I couldn't care less where we are or who's around, you're going over my knee. You're going to listen to all the adults here, not just me. And I don't want to see you acting like you did in the kitchen again. That clear?"_

_The girl merely nodded her head and stared at the carpet. He hoped she meant it._

"_There's one more rule," he told her, pulling her to him and hugging his little girl close. "If there's something you need or anything bothering you, you come talk to me. Okay?"_

_She didn't utter a word and he sighed again. This was going to be harder then it looked. Even Raven wasn't this tough to crack. He wondered if the girl was just too damaged by whatever the hell kind of life his ex-partner had been providing for her. Either that or she was mourning the loss of her old life._

"_I've got to go deal with the beer thief," he told her, releasing her reluctantly from his arms. He could have sworn he detected a shift in her emotions then. "All the boxes up there need to be carried downstairs to the garage. I'll come check on you later, kid."_

_Traipsing to the stairs, Logan hoped keeping her on a short leash with the rules would do the trick. He just wanted her to realise she couldn't do whatever she wanted and that he cared about her. She was his kid, his responsibility and he wanted her to be happy or at least a lot less angry then she was now._

Twenty-one boxes! There's twenty one God damn boxes up here for me to shift! Does he think I'm Superman or something? This place is crawling with mutants and nobody else could do this?

"Logan is full of bullshit. He don't care about meh, it's bullshit! Why would he want meh tah come chat tah him about mah problems, huh? Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. That's all it is, it's bullshit. He don't fool meh, the guy stinks of bullshit! He gives off the BS vibes an' makes meh talk tah mahself, damn it!"

Pretending one of the cardboard boxes is his head, I boot it and curse under my breath. That hurt like hell and now I think I'm gonna cry. Only 'cause of my foot though, nothing else. I ain't crying over anything but my foot.

I slump onto the box and hope I don't fall through it – My ass is still feeling a little tender from last night. I wish I could go home, this ain't where I wanna be. I don't wanna get to know Logan.

Brushing the tears away, I start to think about all the rules and hold my head in my hands. I can't do this, it's all too much. My Mama don't read me the riot act or demand I follow a long list of stupid, pointless rules. And who is he to be telling me what to do anyway? He don't think the truth is necessary, especially when it's about him and his mutation.

My entire family are a bunch of lying bastards. I hate them all so damn much. I. Hate. 'Em.

"Aw, is Anna crying?"

My head snaps up and I scowl at the intruder. "Get outta here, fire crotch," I order, straightening up and marching over to her. "Get the fuck outta here!"

The geek grins at me and I lunge at her.


	10. Rage

**Yes, new chapter. I know I vanished and didn't complete this story like I wanted to before Christmas. I'm so happy I didn't make that deadline public or it would have been an epic fail of international proportions. LOL. But I'm back now, at least for the moment.**

**Anyway, I need to thank everybody who has reviewed, added this story to their alerts and favourites. You guys keep me writing.**

**I'll send each reviewer a thank you PM as usual. And those who can't receive them will be thanked in the next AN. Please enjoy the latest chapter!**

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**Rage**

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Anger is a feeling I'm real great at displaying. I don't shy away from the emotion, it makes me feel alive and powerful. When I'm pissed off, so fucking furious I can't see straight and I wanna break some bitches nose, I'm in my element. And sometimes it scares me a little. Inside my brain is a switch and in a single moment I can fly off the handle and with a flip of the switch – I'm a raging hurricane, a force to be reckoned with and I won't stop until I've destroyed my opponent.

I lunge at her; that mouthy, smirking, stinking, great big bag of brittle bones and horse shit. She looks like a Goddamn horse and when I'm finished with her all she'll be able to eat is sugar lumps and straw.

She only stands there laughing at me. Pushing me further and further over the edge. "You wouldn't dare," she declares with a sickening, butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth smile. "All I have to do is call the Professor and-"

The geek doesn't get to finish her sentence, I shove her so roughly she staggers backwards and falls over a box, landing on the floor. Not giving her a chance to stand up, I scramble over the fallen boxes throwing anything I can get my hands on at her. Books, old newspapers, the boxes themselves -They all hit her. But when I fling a piece of crockery towards her, she holds her hand up and the plate floats in the air.

My eyes widen for a second and I mentally slap myself repeatedly, then duck when the plate flies at me, missing my ear by centimetres. Freakin' bitch and her powers are making this difficult and pissing me off even more.

Well let her try and stop me from beating her ass. If she thinks her fancy powers are gonna save her from this then she really is batshit crazy. She's a damn bitch alright. And I'm gonna show her what happens to bitches where I hail from.

The geek sits up and I watch her put her hands to her temples. She closes her eyes and I stop for a moment. What the hell is she doing?

Then she fixes me with another smirk. It must be part of her morning ritual, being beaten to a bloody pulp before eight am.

"You're in trouble now, _Anna,_" Jean remarks cockily, waving her hand around and the unopened boxes nearest to me all burst open and the contents soars into the air in a flash.

Clothes, papers, photos, plates, dishes, books, pots, pans – Everything crashes to the ground and my jaw drops. Half the shit breaks and smashes at my feet, the rest decorates the floor space around the red head and I blink slowly.

She did this deliberately just to... To... Fuck with me. That's the only reason I can think of. I don't know what the hell her problem is with me but I ain't gonna stand for this. If she wanted trouble all she had to do was ask.

Walking over to her with a dangerous scowl, I grab fistfuls of her hair and tug her head back so I can see the fear in her eyes. Staring down at her, I feel no pity. I don't give a damn about this girl and the anger flows through my veins like pools of melting ice.

"It's _Rogue_." I snarl, kneeing her in the face.

"_Shades, my beer was in your bag. You wanna try explain that away, then be my guest."_

"_Logan, I swear I didn't put it there. It must have been someone else. My bag was in the kitchen for over an hour."_

_Wolverine sniffed the boy's scent and sighed. Damn it, the kid was telling the truth. Which meant he'd almost killed Summers for virtually no reason other then he'd left his bag unattended in the kitchen like an idiot._

"_Who else was in there?" Logan demanded._

_Scott frowned. "Storm and Anna."_

_Those two weren't in the frame, that was for sure. There had to be another way to track his thief, but how? He'd have to give it some thought while he worked on his motorcycle. The garage always relaxed him no matter how stressed he felt._

_Chuck probably wasn't going to be happy about Slim missing his basketball try outs because of some shit about extra curricular activities and college applications, not that Logan gave a damn. He only wanted to catch his beer thief and was now in a foul mood. So close, he was so close. Even if he'd caught the wrong person._

_Talking of Charles, a clipped voice interrupted Logan's train of murderous thoughts. The man seemed to do that a lot and it was annoying. Couldn't a guy plan to string a student up by their toes and use them as gutting practice without being lectured about it?_

_If not, the world was more of a cruel place then he'd first thought._

_Growling, he listened to Chuck's message, his muscles tensing when the word 'fight' was mentioned. He knew it, he knew his girl would be a pain in the ass. Even working in an attic alone couldn't keep her out of God damn trouble. What the hell was the matter with her?_

_Logan ignored Scott's questions and tore out of the Danger Room. Knowing he'd have to be quick, he ran for the stairs. There was no telling what damage Anna could and would do to Jean._

_He burst through into the attic, almost throwing the door off its hinges. The air was thick with his girls fury but he could detect the faint scent of terror, Jean's terror. His muscles tensed and he stared slack jawed at Anna-Marie straddling the older girl, her pale hands gripping great handfuls of long red hair in a white knuckled grip._

_Growling and in three long strides, he kicked the boxes out of his path and wrapped an arm around his kid's waist. "Let. Go. Now." he ordered in a deathly quiet voice._

_She paid him no mind and continued to rip the hair from Grey's scalp. A warning growl tore through his throat and he narrowed his eyes.  
_

_"Anna-Marie Howlett, let go!" Logan barked angrily, swatting her behind firmly._

_Well that seemed to get her attention, he mused idly to himself, watching her hands instantly snap away from Jean's hair and fall to her side.  
_

_Logan lifted her up and set her down on the far side of the room. "Don't even think about moving from that spot," he warned her with a glare._

I watch Logan help the red-headed bitch up and ask her if she's alright. He didn't ask me that. Then again, he's just like my mama, he don't give a damn. He wasn't there for me when I was growing, he was here with her. Jean Grey. He probably tucked her in bed, read her a story and held her when she cried.

He looks around the room frowning, and Jean, noticing he's distracted, smirks over at me. She hooks her arm around Logan's and sighs dramatically.

"Anna kicked me in the face-"

"Kneed. Ah _kneed_ ya in the face!" I snap back in response, taking a step forward to knock her on that fat ass of hers again.

"Don't push it, kid," Logan growls, shooting me a glare.

If this situation has taught me one thing, then it's this: I ain't got my glares down yet. They ain't in no way, shape or form set in stone. Folks sometimes raise an eyebrow when I glare, they don't recoil in horror or do as I say. I guess I could learn a lot from Logan if I wanted to.

I hope I master the family glare one of these days soon. I'd like to use it on everybody I come across so they all leave me the hell alone. Is that really too much to ask? To be left the fuck alone and not have to deal with this crap. I don't much care if nobody here likes me. That's okay 'cause I don't like 'em neither.

"Now there's just one thing I'm dying to know. What the hell happened here?"

Jean gives me a look that seems to indicate the following: Keep your Southern mouth shut. She needn't have bothered 'cause I don't tell tales. Nope. Never have done, never will do. Instead I get my revenge.

I shrug my shoulders and glare at my feet as I suddenly finding my battered pair of green converse real interesting. Oh, look at the way one of the tatty ends of the laces has started to unravel. That's real, real interesting. Shit, I crack myself up sometimes.

"You two are both keeping your mouths shut then, huh?" Logan sighs and I look up as he takes his arm away from Jean's. "Red, haul your ass down to Chuck's office and explain yourself to him."

She looks surprised at the order but doesn't argue when she catches the scowl on his face aimed at her. Logan only turns his attention to me after she leaves and he sighs again.

"Anna, what am I gonna do with you?" He holds his head in his hands for a moment and rubs his temples.

Not sure if that's a rhetorical question or not, I snort. "Send meh home 'cause ah don't wanna be here, ya don't want meh here an' that bitch certainly don't want meh around," is my answer.

Why beat around the bush when you can take a lit match and set the scrap of shrubbery on fire instead.

He eyes me for a second or two still scowling, then his face falls into a concerned frown. "Course I want you here. Why wouldn't I? You're my kid, you should be right by my side, darlin'."

"Don't talk out ya ass, Logan," I mumble, dismissing his bullshit for what it is. Bullshit.

"Hey, you watch how you talk to me. And it isn't Logan to you, I'm your Dad." He growls, crossing his arms, then calming himself down. "I just want to know what happened. You've been crying, I can smell the tears. And I don't need to use my nose to know you're pissed as hell about something."

Oh yeah, that mutation thing he's got going on. How could I forget? No really, how could I?

"Why would ya care?"

"I care. A lot." Logan walks over, gazing down at me and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. "I just want to know what happened. Red's gonna be down there now dragging your reputation through the mud, you know that right?"

"So what?" I mutter stubbornly, resisting the urge to hug my daddy and ask him to run that mean bitch outta town.

"What do you mean 'so what?'." He taps me on the nose and I look him in the eye. "This can't be the same kid who used to hiss, holler, scratch and claw at the neighbourhood kids when they said something out of turn."

"Ah've just scratched an' clawed at that bitch's face an' scalp. The hissin' an' hollerin' woulda followed soon if ya hadn't dragged meh off her."

His gaze hardens. "No more fighting. I'm being pretty decent about all this right now but I won't be if it happens again. And you do not knee anybody in the damn face. Jesus Christ, where would you even learn a move like that? You're thirteen!"

I don't answer him because he won't like it if I admit to learning the move on the street while hanging around with the gang. I've used the Knee jerk dozens of times on rivals. It leaves one hell of a shiner if ya get them right in the eye.

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" Logan sighs, making a show of glancing around the room at the destruction.

I shake my head because I don't need him fighting my battles for me. The Rogue don't need anybody. Nobody at all. She only needs her wits, fists and mouth. Oh, and her knees too, of course.

"Then go to your room and stay there," he orders, shaking his head at my reluctance to be a good girl and spill. "Go on. I'll drag the story outta Red instead."

"Whatever," I huff angrily, storming out the attic and heading straight for my room.

Damn it all to hell. Course he'd wanna run straight to that geek and check to see if she's alright. Who cares if I'm his daughter? I don't. No really I don't. Not at all. Fuck. My. Life.

_"And drop the attitude!" Logan called after his daughter, standing around in the attic and growling at the damn stupidity of the situation. He knew for a fact something wasn't right. The way both girls had clammed up on him had told him that. And his little girl had been crying. She had been crying tears of hurt, pain, anger, whatever and he hadn't been there to hold her and brush those tears away._

_Growling continuously, he stalked downstairs to the Professor's office, the scent of Anna's depression and fury making his hackles rise. He opened the office door without knocking and shut it a little harder then needed._

_"Chuck," he greeted with a curt nod. "She told you want went down up there yet?"_

_"Yes, I'm afraid so, Logan. And I have to say I'm extremely disappointed in Jean's behaviour right now."_

_Sitting on the edge of the desk, he fixed Jean with the sternest of his glares. "Oh, is that so?" Logan growled, never taking his eyes off Grey's worried features. "You mind cluing me in on what you did to my little girl? I suggest you're real quick about it too, because I ain't in the most patient of moods right about now."_


	11. Reconnecting

**I'm as happy with this chapter as I'm going to be. I wanted progress to be made. But we all know whenever progress is made on shaky ground, there comes a time when it will crumble. Although that's a chapter for another time entirely.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Reconnecting**

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"_Spit it out, Grey. I ain't got all day to waste in here talking to you," Logan growled, not willing to feel at all guilty when he watched the girl's face fall._

_Jean shifted nervously and smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt with a trembling hand. "Um," she started, lifting her chin and meeting Wolverine's eyes. "I just went to the attic to talk to Anna."_

_Logan's eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air. "Chuck, you want to remind one of your star pupils I can smell lies or shall I?"_

_He was starting to believe Anna's arrival was having an adverse affect on everybody at the mansion. Jean was acting out, Storm was lecturing him on his parenting techniques and most importantly: Somebody had stolen his Goddamn beer!_

"_Jean, please be honest with Logan," the Professor ordered the girl gently. "You know he holds honesty in high esteem."_

_She nodded her head and explained what had happened. "When I walked into the attic, Anna was sitting on one of the cardboard boxes crying."_

_Logan's heart almost broke in two when he heard that. Shit. His little girl had been upset and where was he? Chewing out Cyke for something he hadn't even done._

"_What did you do?" Logan demanded to know._

_Red's scent instantly changed. And a whiff of remorse and nervousness clogged Logan's senses. Her body language was screaming 'I'm shit scared because I acted like a bitch to a vulnerable kid' and he didn't like it one bit._

"_Well?" he growled, impatient as hell._

"_I laughed at her and-"_

_He stood from the desk, a deep growl rumbling from his chest. "You laughed at her? What the hell do you mean you laughed at her?" Logan didn't think he would be able to stop himself from swinging for this kid claws out and snarling._

"_Logan, please let Jean finish," the Professor called calmly._

"_You provoke her to fight and trash the attic?" Logan asked the girl, not taking his stern gaze away from her face._

"_Yes." Jean replied with a sigh. "I also used my powers to make it look like she had made more of a mess than she had done."_

_He had heard enough. "Take a good long look at yourself, Grey. Because I tell you what, I'm not just disappointed in you right now, I'm damn well disgusted." Logan walked to the door and stopped, glaring over his shoulder. "You ever mess with my little girl again, you'll regret it."_

_Jean stared down at her hands in her lap and didn't answer._

"_And the attics yours to clear. My Anna ain't lifting a finger to clean the shit up there." He blinked at the girl and frowned. "Don't make me choose, Red. Because you won't like the answer. She's always gonna come first."_

_Logan slammed his way out the office and down the hall, desperate for a smoke. He couldn't believe what had been happening under his own sensitive nose. What else had Red done to his daughter when he hadn't been around? He growled at the very thought and made his way upstairs, forgetting about his urge for nicotine. That could wait, everything else could too. He just wanted to hold his little girl in his arms and promise her the world._

_ Shit, he also needed to apologise for being the biggest asshole and worse dad on this planet. Sure there were probably worse fathers them him, but he could give the shittiest a run for their money._

_Knocking on her door, he let himself in and found her on the bed, glaring at the ceiling. She didn't even glance over or snap at him. He was hoping that was a step in the right direction and good progress. Logan was aiming to reconnect with his daughter again today, he wanted to form a bond, see her crack a smile, maybe even laugh._

_Yeah. He couldn't wait to see her laugh again. He only wanted his little girl back._

"What d'ya want, ol' man?" I huff, crossing my arms and scowling at the ceiling. I don't see why I need to look at the guy. The sheer sight of his old as hell face makes me sick and I don't feel like scrubbing the chunks of puke free from the carpet today.

He sighs and sits bedside me on the bed. "Scoot over would you. I'm not as damn skinny as I used to be."

Now _that _earns him a look. "Ya ain't changed none since, well, forever. So no, Ah ain't movin'."

Logan shrugs his shoulders. "Fine then." He scoops me up in his arms, shifts on my bed and settles me on his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "Now that's better."

"This ain't funny."

"Good," he snorts, poking me in the side. "Because I don't do funny, darlin'."

Arching an eyebrow in the perfect impression of him, I jab him in the stomach. "Don't ya be pokin' meh, Logan."

He pokes me back and grins. "That's 'daddy' to _you_, Anna Marie Howlett."

I roll my eyes at the damn fool and flick him on the nose. "Mah names Rogue an' ya ain't mah daddy. Ya forfeited the right tah be called that when ya ran for the hills an' didn't look back."

The smile on his face drops faster then Hugh Hefner's boner when he runs outta those blue pills. I feel like I should be congratulated for not announcing that to Logan's face. No really, I should. Congratulate me, damn it!

"Kid, Anna, listen -" Logan lifts my chin up and gazes into my eyes. "There's so much of my past you don't know about, darlin'. Too much to explain to somebody without a healing factor," he jokes and when I don't roll around on the floor crying big, fat tears of sheer hilarity, he sighs.

"Ya could try," I mutter sullenly, glaring at his nose. I don't think I'd be able to strangle the urge to cry if I looked him in the eye. I ain't a crier usually, but this day has put me to shame. I swear I should be fined for ever drop of salty sadness leaking from my eyes at any given time.

"Yeah, I could. And I promise I'm gonna do just that." He kisses me on the forehead and hugs me tightly to his chest. "I've done some shit stupid things in my life, darlin'. Made so many mistakes and been part of things I ain't proud of. Not proud of at all."

This ain't really a moment I've been dreaming about for years. I can't say that it is 'cause that would be a lie. And lying is real bad, Kiddies. Real bad. It's strange because my brain is screaming at me to haul ass as far away from Logan as possible, but I can't. My heart is beating to a vastly different, shit crazy and damn Grammy award winning tune.

Where was I? Yeah. Logan being here with me. Talking. Hugging me. Christ on a carousel. Nah, I don't like the sound of _that _at all. Christ on a… Bike? Christ on a candle stick? Christ on a coconut? Aw, now that I fucking love. Christ on a coconut, I just can't believe Logan's here with me right now. It's brick shitting news and it ain't supposed to be. Deserting, deadbeat dad's like him even want to spend time with their kids, right?

"You listening to me, Anna?" Logan raises an eyebrow and taps me on the nose.

"What?" I blurt out, shaking my mental mind free from it's thoughts. Seriously though, Christ on a coconut. I can't begin to tell you folks how much I'm in love with that phrase.

Logan sighs and his head falls back against the polished mahogany headboard. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?" He rolls his eyes and scrubs a hand over his face. "Right. Try to listen this time would you. I don't talk just 'cause I like the sound of my own voice."

"Whatever," I mumble, tugging at a button on his flannel shirt. I wonder if he owns a sewing kit? Maybe he talks the one with the white hair into playing around with his needle and thread when he's in need.

Ugh. That just cast a real blood curdling, stroke inducing, hair curling thought into my screwed up brain. I swear to my coconut loving saviour, I'm about to hurl. Hurl and cover this whole room with partly digested pancakes and coffee.

"The biggest regret of my life is leaving you, darlin'. I could tell you I had no choice, but I ain't about to cheapen the apology I owe you." He brushes a hand through my hair, gently pulling on a lock of my flyaway bangs. "If I could turn back time, I'd do anything to right the wrongs, but I can't do that."

I snort. Sorry, but I just couldn't help it. That snort came from deep inside me and I don't have control over that part of my body. The coconut loving monsters do. Those damn creatures. Grr.

"What the hell kinda apology was that?" I cry, slapping him on the chest once, twice, three times. Then again just for good luck. "Ya fuck off outta mah life, then ya don't even have an excuse for screwin' meh over! What the hell, Logan! What. The. Hell!"

His eyes narrow and he grabs my hand when I go to hit him again. "Hey, when did me and your mama teach you violence, cursing and yelling like a banshee was the way to behave?"

I stare moodily at the spot past his left ear and don't answer. He knows my mama used to do all three of those things when she didn't get her own way. Threw shit at his head too. I kind of wish she was here now. Raven could appear in this room, chuck a vase at Logan's head, then vanish in a puff of dramatic smoke. I think I'd like to see that - I could do with a laugh right about now.

"Ah don't want no apology from ya, Logan. It's too late 'cause Ah hate ya."

_Logan stern gaze faded as the full force of her words hit him at full pelt, almost breaking his heart. He couldn't blame her really, she was her mothers daughter. Right down to the way she spat hurtful words at him before he had a chance to duck. And he had fucked up her life with his stupidity. Why the hell had he joined Weapon X? Why?_

"_I know I'm not your favourite person in the world right now, darlin', but I love you." He didn't know what else to say, so he pulled her closer to his chest and hugged the life out of her._

"_Will ya quit doin' that." Anna grumped, resting her head against his heart. "Ah don't like bein' hugged none. Especially by folks Ah hate."_

_Logan smiled despite her words. She hated him but wasn't making any attempt to shift from his lap. "I'm sorry I left and stayed away. You might not know or even think it, but I was trying to protect you from the bad parts of my life. I haven't always been an X-Men, Kid. And I wasn't always on the right side of the tracks."_

"_Ya weren't?"_

"_No, I weren't. There was this whole deal going down in Canada after I broke up with your mama. The programme was called Weapon X and I joined up. They're the ones who gave me these claws." He unsheathed a set of claws to show her and watched his daughter eye them curiously._

"_Ya mean, some Canadian folks put these things in ya body an' ya let 'em?" Anna's eyes widened and she chewed her lip. "Didn't it hurt? Ah mean hurt real bad when they did that tah ya?"_

_Logan didn't want to lie to his girl and nodded his head, half caught up in forgotten memories of the procedure. "Yeah, it hurt, darlin'." He noticed the look of sadness in her eyes. "Hey, you don't need to worry about it, okay? It was a long time ago and I got through it fine."_

"_So ya didn't have claws before?"_

"_I didn't have claws like these before, they were only bone. Now they're coated in adamantium, they're kinda indestructible." He shrugged his shoulders._

_Anna reached out and traced a finger down one of the claws, her heart caught in her throat._

"_Careful. They're sharp." Logan warned, waiting for her to remove her finger until sheathing them again. His eyes studied the flesh as it instantly healed over and he cast a quick glance at Anna's face. She was a picture. A perfect picture at that. Shit, he would need to get a more up-to-date photo for his wallet._

"_What the fuck! Ya skin, it's freaky an' all hell no, Ah'm gonna ignore science an' throw a party of mah own!"_

_He snorted. Nobody had ever described his mutation quite like that before. "Yeah, that's another one of my mutations. I have a healing factor and I can't die. Well I can die, but I just don't stay dead for long. I get better real quick."_

_She stared at him slack jawed for a few moments. He could almost hear the cogs turning in her head. He was pretty happy when she sprung back to life, because he was starting to think his daughter had broken down and needed a replacement cog._

"_Ya mean folks can have more then one mutation?" she spluttered, sitting up and pointing at him. "Just how many have ya got?"_

"_Yeah, mutants can have more then one power," Logan confirmed, smiling at her. "I've got the claws, my healing factor and a good sense of smell, damn good hearing and my eyesight is second to none."_

_Anna shook her head in amazement. "Don't ya think that's kinda greedy, Daddy?"_

_Logan had been about to answer, but engulfed her in a hug and chuckled instead. She had called him daddy whether she had meant to or not. He couldn't believe how much he'd missed hearing that from her lips._

"_I'm a greedy bastard, Darlin'." He kissed her on the forehead again. "But this greedy bastard loves you."_

Oh my fucking God. I slipped up and that word jumped from my lips without my permission. And he looks so tickled over me calling him that, I can't take it back now.

I decide to change the subject away from mutations, love and my big, big, big mouth.

"Did ya kick the bitch in her fat ass?" I question curiously, wondering what he's done to Jean Grey. I hope he shredded her with those insane looking claws. Damn, I bet that would hurt. "Ya better have done."

"Nope," he replies, drawing a growl from my lips.

"What d'ya mean 'nope'?"

"It means no, Anna. I went down there, had a few words with the girl and came back up here to shoot the breeze with you instead."

Now _that_ pisses me off. "Ya only talked tah her? Why didn't ya tan her hide or kick her outta the mansion for the shit she pulled up there? Ya do know what she did right?"

Logan sighs. "Yeah, I know what she tried to pull and so does the Professor. But she ain't my responsibility, darlin'. Red's just another student to me and one I'm not exactly pleased with right now."

Well, that's okay then. He's not happy with her, so let's all rejoice because the bitch has certainly learnt her lesson there. Three cheers for the unhappy Logan and the words he enjoys swapping with the fire crotch.

"But that don't mean you're off the hook, Anna-Marie. You don't go around kneeing people in the face or acting that way at all, you understand?"

I nod my head, keeping my homicidal thoughts to myself. "Whatever."

"Good," he responds with a smile. "You won't be cleaning the attic up either. Jean will when she gets back from school and she'd better make a decent job of it."

"Really?" I grin.

"Yeah, Kiddo. Really." Logan grunts and pokes me in the side yet again. "Now what do you want to do today, huh? There's a hell of a lot of catching up to be done."

"Oh, Ah dunno." I school my face into nonchalance and hide the smirk that's just dying to break loose. Choosing to prod him in the ribs, I roll my eyes melodramatically instead. I should so be treading the boards on some famous stage, I swear it. "No pokin', Mistah Howlett. Don't ya know it's rude?"


	12. Rumbling

**All the people I'm about to mention because I'm in love with them all, have the right to kill me for taking so long to update. I love reviewers!**

**Thanks to: LuckedClover, X-men-X, Zandra, gaben, Shego, Buffyxenaman, fangirlie, anon, gambitstalker, guest, lajoci, Raye, lilskystar, V. L. Crawford, Wolfy.**

**Many, many, many thanks to Raye for requesting at least four times for me to update this story. Today's lesson is the following: if you nag me long enough I will eventually listen. LOL.**

* * *

**The Hard Way:**

**Rumbling**

* * *

My eyebrow pings to my hairline and I roll my eyes to the fucking heavens. And I mean the heavens. Way, way, way up there where the good old folks like Johnny Cash, John Lennon and John Wayne hang out on a cloud and chat about shit. Two with a guitar and one with a goddamn pistol, shooting the clouds, rocking away and smoking fat cigars like only the coolest of bastards could.

"Ya do know Ah'm thirteen an' not three, right?" I snort, wondering if Logan has lost the plot, his marbles and his damn mind all at once.

He grins over his shoulder; kinda how I figure Winston Churchill would have looked if Hitler quit being such a motherfucking idiot and waved a white flag from his asshole. I ain't sure how the logistics would have worked but I bet it would have been a real good show.

"Hey," Logan smirks, winking at me. "Ain't many brats I give a piggyback to. So you just enjoy the ride, darlin'."

"Ah'll have ya know Ah ain't no brat, Logan," I shoot back with a mock glare.

"Now that's a lie," he snorts, shouldering the garage door open and ducking under the frame. "And to you, it's daddy."

It's times like these I feel pretty lucky to be part Wolverine sperm mixed with a helping of Darkholme egg. And don't you be asking how a baby is made. If you ain't gotta clue about the birds and the bees, go holler at my daddy. This fancy mansion's address will be easy to find I'm betting and go send him a kick ass letter asking him where babies come from. Please, for me. I swear to god it would make my day seeing the look on his face.

He twirls around, setting me on my feet by his hunk a junk jeep. I arch a teasing eyebrow and smirk at him. "Ya been takin' dance lessons, ol' man?"

"Hell no," Logan grunts, unlocking the jeep and opening the passenger door for me. He gestures for me to haul ass and get in. "Wouldn't catch me dancin' for all the cigars and whiskey in the world."

"Now that's a fat lie," I tell him, shaking my head with a disappointed look. "Ya know ya used to get happy feet an' dance the night away dressed in a white suit when ya were with mama. Ya'd be all _Saturday Night Fever_ an' hit the dance floor to show all ya fellow boogie buddies how to shake ass to the funky beat."

"Darlin', I would never wear a white suit. Not even for your mama." He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "And you've got one hell of a skewered sense of humour."

"Ah know," I reply, grinning at the compliment. "Ain't it grand?"

With an amused snort, he shuts my door and climbs in the driver's seat. He really does have to climb, ya know. My daddy is a short ass after all. I bet he wore ten inch heels back when he was saying howdy to the dance floors and disco balls. I've gotta say I love my sense of humour; it's like razor blades and silly putty meeting on a big old bouncy castle.

Cutting the engine before he's even pulled out the garage, Logan rolls down the window with a sigh.

"What ya doin'?" I question, turning in my seat and scowling as I stare coldly through the back window. "Aw, fuck no. Nuh-uh, not happenin'. Ah ain't stayin' in this goddamn car with her."

He growls and shoots me a warning look. "Watch yer mouth, girl."

Fire Crotch trots up to the window and my fists clench. Why do I gotta watch my mouth after everything that little flame haired hussy did to me? Ain't I supposed to be his damn kid? I am, ain't I? I didn't just dream the past thirteen years. Ha, an ass kicking chance would be a fine thing. What I wouldn't give to have normal folks and the opportunity to clamber outta this car and kick her little pinhead right off her ugly shaped, lumpy, bumpy shoulders.

"Ya words mean diddly-squat tah meh," I grump, my lip curling when I spot the Scarlett Strumpet leaning against Logan's side of the jeep.

"What about my hand?" Logan growls back, his eyes narrowing as he shoots a dark stare in my direction.

I huff at him, at her and this whole stupid situation. I wanna head home!

"Uh, Logan?" Little Miss Red and Innocent says softly, fluttering her , I just gagged a little. Why the hell is Logan glaring my way again? "I wouldn't ask but-"

He heaves a long, put upon sigh and jerks his thumb to the backseat. "Get your butt in the back, Red."

"Thanks a million," she smiles, climbing in the back and ignoring my stink eye.

Logan grunts in response and I feel the angry, pissed as hell fury clawing up my throat and I ain't doing shit to reign in back in again. Why should I, huh? Why can't he let her massive, inflatable ass walk to the special school she goes to? I've never met nobody who screams 'special!' more than Gross Grey. And by the by, special ain't no compliment, you hear? It's an insult wrapped in one of those fancy words adults like to spit at you.

Talking of spitting, this anger has got a mind of its own. I'm not hopping mad no more, I'm damn furious. Rogue's a tornado right now and this jeep don't know what hit it.

"Ah ain't goin' nowhere with that _thing_!" I bellow, punching the button on the seatbelt until it pops open and I'm free. "Chuck her out or Ah'm leavin'!" I threaten, pointing a shaky finger his way.

I'm so pissed, I'm all shaky and my muscles are freaking out. That's what happens when I get real close to some red, furry turd.

"Don't go throwing a tantrum, Anna-Marie."

Yeah, that's the reply I get from my daddy. He don't even look my way! What the hell? This ain't no tantrum I'm having. If I killed the Scarlett Bitch right now, the cops ain't gonna say to the court I was throwing a fucking fit.

With a damning scowl, I throw the jeep door open, climb out and slam the door shut. This is nothing but a great, big ball of shit with my name on it and I'm dumping it right here 'cause I don't want it.

Logan jumps out his bucket of rust, shaking his head and following after me."Kid-"

"Ah don't wanna hear nothin' from ya!" I tell him, storming toward the door leading to the fancy pants kitchen.

"Anna-Marie," he growls, catching my wrist and pulling me to a stop. "Don't you walk away when I'm talking."

My eyes narrow and I stare up at him with real ruthless hatred."Talkin'? Ya weren't talkin' none, only remindin' meh why Ah hate ya ass. Ah hate ya, Logan. Ah hate ya so damn bad Ah wish ya were deader than dead."

His grip loosens on my arm, before falling away completely and a heap of hurt flickers in his eyes. "Ah'm sorry to hear that, Darlin'," he sighs, stuffing his hands in his jacket pocket.

Like hell he is, I bet he's real glad. I don't say nothing else and quickly turn on my heels, stomping all the way through the kitchen in search of my room.

"Ah, Rogue," the guy in the wheelchair greets me, blocking my path. "How are you settling in? Very well, I hope."

What is this fella on? "An' ya can drop dead too!" I snarl, ducking past him and bolting up the stairs.

"_Logan, I feel responsible for her outburst," Jean admitted, leaning forward as she spoke_._ She pursed her lips, her serene brow wrinkling. "I hope you don't hold any of this against me."_

"_Grey," Logan sighed, pulling up outside the school and missing the silence they'd been travelling in since Anna had gone and kicked off over nothing. "You and me have got some real deep issues right now, so take some advice and haul that ass of yours to class."_

_She opened the door, glancing at the back of his head before she took her leave. "I'm not sure if you want me to say sorry or not, but this isn't my fault. Your daughter, she's a little difficult-"_

_He growled, shifting in his chair and facing the girl, a menacing stare crushing what little courage she had. "This conversation is over," he said, deliberately taking his time with his words and delivering them as harshly as possible. "Now scram, 'fore I do somethin' we both regret."_

_Jean nodded, picking up her books before quickly scurrying away to her first class._

_Sighing, Logan lit a cigar lazily and scratched the four day stubble on his heavy set jaw. He'd sit here for a while and have a good think about some things. His little girl had some mighty hate she liked throwing his way and like the damn bastard he was, he didn't know what to do for the best. All he knew was his mind was set on one thing and one thing only: to carve a new relationship with his kid._

I'm sitting under a tree, hugging my knees to my chest and wondering why everything around me has to implode when I don't really want it to. Jesus, I can't even find my room or nothing. I swear to all that's cool like good ol' Johnny Cash that it's hiding from me. Nothing or nobody wants to be 'round me and it's killing me half dead.

It was going all right earlier, ya know, with my daddy and everything. I kinda felt like we were maybe going somewhere, getting over that bumpy road and sorting shit out. But now look at everything; it's all fucked up 'cause of Grungy Grey. She took a piss in my pot of gold and I ain't real happy about it. Nope, I won't be singing no praises to her. I'd rather beat her black and black, red sucks monkey balls and I've never been a fan of blue. I'd empty that pot of gold and piss over her head, too. Yeah, I'm just that nice.

Damn it, I guess I got me some choices to make right about now and it all hangs right in the balance of my hateful head. Running or staying pretty much sums it all up. Do I run like a burning bat outta hell or do I wait this crap out, beat the shit outta Queen Jean and hang around long enough to get to know my daddy again?

Hell if I know the answer, might just have to get back to ya on that.


	13. Rollicking

**As usual the first thank you blasts out to my lovely reviewers who once again took the time to read the latest chapter and leave a review. If you are one of those people who reads this and scuttles off without doing so, shame on you! Sabretooth will find you and use your head as a chew toy.**

**So, I need to say thanks to: V L Crawford, Kima00, Buffy, Zandra, gaben, Raye, Raven34link, Jobad11, breanna daniel, Raye (Again), dreams of naughtiness and Ravendally.**

**Oh and there was another review from somebody called "You Need Help". Of course they didn't use the correct spelling or grammar so I refuse to repost it.**

**This troll (and I use the term loosely) had the audacity to accuse my parents of abusing me. Actually no, You Need Help, my parents have never raised their hands to me. And if you had taken the time to PM me I would have been more than happy to hold a debate with you so I could have crushed you in private, but I'm more than happy to post my response right here so I can make a mockery of you and your misspelled, misinformed words.**

**Firstly and as Zandra would tell you, I personally don't believe in spanking. If I had children I wouldn't dream of punishing them with a smack to the bottom and this is where I know it becomes a little too complicated for you: My name is NOT Logan. This is a story and at no point do I write from my perspective.**

**Logan was born in a time where spankings were used as punishments in most households across the world, it was common place and that is what my interpretation of him shows. If you had ever read anything I write that features Raven, you would see that she disapproves of spanking and never punishes either of her children that way. That brings together two people into a relationship, raising a child and they each have very different opinions about punishments. This is how the world works and people are never any number of names because they don't hold the same opinion as you.**

**Secondly, I'm no pervert. In fact suggesting I am makes you a little sick in the head, but I will bring this to my therapist's attention when I see him on Tuesday. I'm sure he could do with a laugh, the poor man, having to deal with me each week.**

**Thirdly, you ignored the warning before you clicked on the link to my story and read seven whole chapters before registering your utter disgust? I'd say you also need to go and visit a therapist. There is no point dishing out advice when you're actually barking mad yourself because nobody listens… I should know.**

**Last but not in the very way least, if you take the time to review my work, please do leave your name and address. How do I know where to send the flaming dog turd to? Now please do fall off your high horse and snap your neck because there are billions of people out there who would make a better troll than you. Times are tough and the jobs are lacking.**

**-Sighs- Now I've gotten that off my chest, enjoy the chapter everybody!**

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**Rollicking**

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_Logan had hit his local bar with all guns blazing, sinking glass after glass of whiskey and not pausing long enough to savour the taste of charred oak on his tongue. Bourbon whiskey was something else entirely, a good something if you asked him, but he had some serious thinking to do still. His girl was a mess and he wanted to help her see he weren't all bad. Sure, he could be an asshole, a big one when he was pushed into it, though he didn't want to head that way with her. Scaring her straight was all well and good when you were dealing with a tyke you didn't give two squirts of piss about, but he loved that kid._

_He snuffed his cigar out and frowned. Shit, that was his last one. Growling to himself, he dropped a twenty dollar bill on the beaten up counter, nodded at the barman and headed outside. He'd need to stock up on some smokes before tackling his Stripes' attitude again. About a hundred packs ought to do it, seeing as she hated him. He was sure in for a long ride he figured, a real long one._

I found me some paper and a pen, sat back under my tree and decided I was gonna write mama a nice letter. Yeah, I still can't find that bedroom of mine. You think this mansion has staircases like the ones in Harry Potter, where they move and all the folks end up getting lost forever and ever? All I know is this: I'm a real good letter writer, check this shit out:

Mama,

You're a whore. A real big one at that. The BIGGEST whore this crummy world ever did see.

I hate your slutty guts,

Rogue.

I'm liking it and figuring my mama will too. Nah, I'm just pulling your ugly little leg, she's gonna hit the roof and I'm gonna be smirking all the way back home 'cause she'll realise there ain't no point me being here. I mean, what the hell am I getting out of hanging around in this dump? I'm real stumped because I can't come up with no answer and neither can ya. Now where do I find a fucking stamp?

Aw, hell no.

"Anna?" that girl with the ponytail calls, tripping over her own feet as she makes her way over to me. The goddamn dumbass. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Ya have?" I snort, sitting back against the tree. "Well ya found meh, now leave meh the hell alone."

"I got sent home from school because I was like sick in class," she frowns, trying to read my note.

Scowling I fold it in half and give her a look. "Ain't ya classmates the ones who are supposed tah chuck up when that see ya, Kitty?"

"That's not nice-"

"Ah ain't no nice person."

Kitty pouts and folds her arms across her flat chest. "You should be right at home out here then."

"An' what's that supposed to mean, huh?" I snap back, tucking the note in my pocket and tapping my fingers against my thighs. "Ya wanna share somethin' with meh? 'Cause Ah don't speak ya language."

"What language is that?" she asks me, walking right into my trap.

"Airhead. Ah don't speak Airhead."

Pulling a face which makes her look like she's sucking on a porcupine, Kitty holds her head up and huffs, sticking her nose in the air. "You'll be right at home out here because you're Southern. People who come from the South live outside and like to eat horrible things."

Gritting my teeth, I stare real coldly and quietly up at her for a long time. Lucky for me lightning strikes even faster than my daddy's hand. I'll give her a real Southern stereotype.

"An' Ah ain't gettin' off mah bee-hind till Ah catch meh a furry critter."

Kitty's eyes widen and she gasps, her face paling. "Not Sunshine the Squirrel! You can't eat him; he's the X-Men's mascot!"

"Ah'm a gonna sit right here an' wait for that there squirrel tah poke its head outta that damn oak tree. Squirrel pie seems a mighty fahne idea tah mah stomach right about now," I drawl with my accent thick and tickling my funny bone.

"No… No you can't! I won't let you!" she cries, turning on her heels and fleeing for the mansion.

"Betcha can't run faster than it takes meh tah catch mah tasty soundin' dinner!" I yell after her, smirking when she almost falls flat on her face. "Times a tickin' an' mah belly's runnin' on empty!"

Shit on a fat, forty foot stick, I enjoyed that. Best time I've had since I got here. Shame it ain't about to last though. If my eyes ain't already lost the plot that looks a lot like Logan stalking over here, trying to shoo Little Miss Pink and Proud away.

"_Pryde!" Logan growled, batting the kid away from him. "I said I'd deal with it. Go back in the mansion!" he ordered, his patience wearing thin._

"_But Logan," Kitty panicked, talking faster than the speed of sound and making him think the girl had been experimenting with Duracell batteries. "She's going to eat Sunshine. He's our mascot and she's going to eat him."_

"_That damn squirrel ain't our mascot, Halfpint," he snorted, shaking his head. "And I'm starting to think you're not that sick if you can carry on like this. Wanna go back to school?"_

_Kitty stopped walking. "Uh, like no," she said in disgust, waking back toward the mansion. "And he is so our mascot!"_

_Rolling his eyes, Logan came to a stop by the tree and glanced down at his kid. "Havin' fun?" he asked, arching an eyebrow._

"_Maybe," Anna shrugged, fiddling with a pen and drawing on her hand. "It's a good pen. Ah like the colour black."_

"_Ah was talkin' about Pryde," he snorted, sitting himself down in a heap beside her._

"_Ah know," she replied, gazing over at him._

_Logan grinned at the girl. "I know that look all too well, Darlin'."_

"_What look?" Anna challenged, starting to doodle on his arm instead._

_He let her get on with it and sighed. "The same look your mama used to have when she'd been playin' someone," he explained. "You'd get it too when you'd been up to no good. Always used to say I didn't need to smell ya to know my girls had been naughty."_

"_Smell us?"_

_His daughter looked real confused and Logan snorted in amusement, tapping his nose. "Yeah, smell ya. When you were small I'd asked you if you'd been a good girl, you'd nod and promise you had and I'd catch the lie on you." He leaned forward and patted her cheek. "You get this cheeky look in your eyes, just like your mama."_

"_Ya would smell mah eye?" Anna wondered aloud, grinning madly. "Ya ain't all there are ya?"_

"_No, that ain't what I was sayin'," Logan grumped, letting the girl tease him. "What you doing out here anyway?"_

"_Ah wanted tah catch meh a furry critter for lunch," was Anna's deadpan reply._

"_Uh huh," he nodded. "Sure."_

_His girl dropped the pen and her eyes met his. "Also couldn't find mah fuckin' room."_

_Logan sighed, rubbing his scruffy jaw. "Watch that language of yours, Kid," he began, ready to launch into lecture mode. "It don't sound good comin' outta a –"_

_Stopping dead, his hackles rose and he gawked at the scribble on his arm. "The hell!" he barked furiously, lifting his arm up to get a better look. "Anna-Marie Logan, how'd you know what one of those looks like?"_

_The girl was long gone though, bolting for the mansion._

"_Anna!" Logan yelled, leaping to his feet and taking off after her. "Anna-Marie!"_


	14. Railroader

**Right, let me get the lovely reviewers out the way before I begin to rant again. Thank you to: Ravendally, alienarcher, gaben (who sent me a message to tell me she meant 'it's NOT the focus of your tale' in her review) Elektronic-Rainbow, lajoci, VL Crawford, AemryAvalon, Buffy, Jobod, Ashleyder (Call on my services if** **you ever get flamed again!) Raven34link, Zandra, Humour-Me-Please, samiam69 and Raye.**

**I truly wish I could take more time answering all the reviews I received, but sadly once again a complete moron had to post a comment. But what pissed me off was it didn't even concern the story but was a review of one of my reviewer's reviews... If that makes sense. Argh, it's late and I'm pulling an all nighter!**

**Anyway, what annoyed me was the fact V.L Crawford was happy enough to post his/her memories of growing up and yet a rather unhelpful twat who felt like they had nothing better to do with their time had to come along** **and post their rather skewered views on the subject. Once again not even leaving a name and address! Where does the flaming dog turd get sent to again? 0.0**

**In answer to V.L Crawford, no your comments didn't offend me at all. In fact I found it rather insightful and well done you for posting what you did.**

**But to the moron who commented on Crawford's post. This is for you: You have violence inside America because you are all stupid enough to sell guns in supermarkets alongside fucking vegetables; you encourage your children to think shooting, hunting and gangs are okay and for the love of god, you sell guns inside supermarkets!**

**You have rules and laws that differ from state to state, most of you run around waving guns about and drugs are easily and cheaply come by. As are guns! Children who grow up into violent adults haven't been raised correctly; they've been dragged up by the skin of their necks by parents who know little about social norms.**

**I'd hazard a guess you are doing nothing but trolling my story and now the reviews. I'd even go as far as saying you're the same person as last time. I also use the word 'person' lightly. So for God sake, would your own parents please take a belt to you because I find your posts a mess and I really do think you would benefit from sitting on a sore behind when you're in English class!**

**Now I've ranted myself out, enjoy the chapter!**

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**Railroader**

* * *

"_Anna-Marie Logan!" Wolverine bellowed, stalking inside the kitchen and scowling when Storm dissolved into a wave of laughter, her eyes alight with amusement and her finger pointed squarely at his arm._

_He glared at the woman and turned the kitchen tap on, wanting to get rid of the donkey dick sketch first and then whale away on his kid's ass. "Grow up, Woman," he grunted, sighing and soaping up his offensive, hairy arm._

_It took another four and a half minutes until Ororo felt safe enough to try and put together a normal sounding sentence again. "I didn't know you liked art, Logan," she said, clearing her throat when another round of merriment tried to destroy her seriousness._

_He growled at her until she left the kitchen, although he could still hear her laughter travelling down the hall and all the way into her bedroom upstairs on the other side of the mansion._

"_Goddamn good hearing," he grumped, wondering why the hell the drawing wasn't shifting from his skin._

"_That's permanent ink," a certain smug, little voice announced in the doorway and he whipped around to stare at her. "It's gonna take more than that to clean it outta ya ape pores."_

_His eyes narrowing dangerously, Logan leapt at his girl, running at her and securing her tightly around the waist. He felt a sense of deep satisfaction as he listened to her squeal and deposited her butt on the counter beside the sink._

"_How'd I get rid of it, Darlin'?" he demanded to know, his hands settling either side of her and his nose almost touching hers. Glaring deep into her eyes, he arched a bushy eyebrow and waited her out for a response. "C'mon, tell me and you get a bucket of ice cream instead of me running your ass into the ground. You ain't been introduced to one of my training session yet." He smirked darkly, trying to get her to see she wouldn't win here._

_Anna traced a finger over the messed up drawing and pursed her lips, giving Logan hope she was going to spill the beans so he wouldn't be a laughing stock once the rest of the brats came home._

"_Nope," she grinned right back at him, that naughty as hell twinkle in her eye._

"_That's not a word I'm used to hearing, Kid," he growled, giving her a warning look. "Now I know you think this is funny as hell but let me tell ya something, it ain't and you're gonna tell me what kinda shit to use on my arm or I'm going to throw you over my knee and wallop it out of you."_

_His girl's smile faded faster than his beer supply on a bad day and he sighed, knowing he'd failed her again. "Look, darlin'," he grunted, cupping her face in one of his large, calloused hands and brushing his thumb over her pale cheek. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that."_

"_Whatever," she muttered, avoiding his piercing gaze._

_Sighing heavily, Logan wrapped his arms around her, pulling his little girl into a bear hug. "I meant what I said, Anna. You can't keep acting like you're running the show. Get what I'm saying?"_

Resting my head on his ape like shoulder, my pale chin brushing against his ape like shirt, I scowl out my feelings for the whole kitchen to see. It's kinda a shame nobody gets to see the look on my face because I'm on a roll right now.

"Ah do run the show, Logan," I answer cockily, knowing Cody would be cheering me on with a huge grin right about now. He'd probably be doing that chicken dance he does until his ass is caught. Then he'd cry like a baby boy and plead for a second chance. That's the way he plays it though and I'm way above that. Way, way, way, way above - "Yeow! What the heck was that for?"

He cracks his hard hand on my butt again and sits me back down on the counter.

"You really need me to answer that?" he counters, raising a bushy eyebrow and giving me a look.

Huffing, I shake my head. There's a certain brand of soap that takes the ink clean off with two washes but I ain't gonna tell him nothing. He'll have to scrub and scrub until he's bleeding out because I don't care none.

Logan gets this look in his eyes and it makes me wonder what he's thinking. Goddamn it, I wish I could read minds or something. Wouldn't that be the coolest shit ever? Well, except I wouldn't wanna read Jean's mind. She's probably got nothing between those elephant ears of hers. Have you seen the size of her ears though? They're bigger than her feet!

He opens his ape lips to talk and I railroad right over him. "Ah got a letter to send out to mama," I shrug, tugging the ratty envelope out of my back pocket. Probably shouldn't have sat my ass on it, but it's only words calling my mama out on the hooker she is.

Breaking out in a grin, he kisses my forehead and plucks the envelope from my hand. "I can post that for you, Darlin'. Gotta say I'm proud you wrote your feelings down like that instead of getting mad at your mother."

I nod curtly, gazing up at him and thinking he's mighty grand for offering to take it to the post office. I get the feeling he don't like my mama much either, or he just don't know what's in the letter. Yeah, I'm thinking the latter too. Hah! That means he's gonna get his ass in trouble when he sends it out. He can't blame me if he was too stupid to check what I'd written before he went all daddy dearest and started praising me.

"You go get changed, Darlin', while I hit the post office real quick," Logan tells me, ruffling my hair and stepping away.

"Changed?" I scowl, looking down at my clothes. "What's wrong with what Ah'm wearin'?"

Snorting, he tucks my letter in his pocket and rolls his sleeves down. "You really wanna wreck those princess death clothes you're dolled up in?" he smirks, winking at me. "Told you I was going to throw you head first into one of my training sessions if you didn't obey me and I always keep my word, Kiddo."

"Ya serious, Old Man?" I scoff, not really believing a word of it.

"Yep," he answers smugly, popping the P and stalking out to the garage. "Be ready by the time I get back or it's extra laps."

Blinking at his retreating form, I can't think of nothing to say until I hear his motorcycle starting up. "Hey! Ah ain't no princess death, ya hear! Ah'm Rogue and these are Rogue clothes! Mah real preppy, ass kickin' attitude ya so love is pure Rogue too! Ah'm Rogue, Rogue, Rogue, Logan!"

_Wolverine kick started his bike, the engine grumbling underneath his heavy weight. "That's daddy to you, Princess Death!" he called back cheerfully, thinking he was starting to make headway with his little girl._

_His bike prowled out the garage and the wind slammed into his form as he picked up speed, his tyres screeching through the large, imposing open gates._

"_Shit, I'm a daddy again," he grinned to himself, hurtling down the streets on his old, beat up Harley._

_Damn was he proud of his girl too, leaving off her mama like she had and writing a letter full of feelings and the likes. He would happily go to the ends of the earth to post this letter if it got Anna-Marie and Raven talking again. It didn't seem right a girl his daughter's age not having a mother in her life. After all, Ray had been there when he'd gone to ground in Canada for all those years. Even if she'd struggled bringing their daughter up all alone._

_Fine, he might not see eye to eye with his ex-wife over much or at all, but they were both tied in together for the rest of their lives because of Anna and he hoped Ray was doing fine with her life down in Mississippi. There were times like now he kind of missed his woman. Hell, he sometimes regretted being such a jackass and throwing his family away like he did just for a big bundle of trouble with his name on. What had he been thinking back then? He'd had everything he ever wanted and traded it in for nothing._

"_Now ain't the time for this, Bub," Logan growled, shaking his head. "You gotta look to the future." He passed by a traffic jam full of people and got more than his fair share of curious looks. "And quit talkin' to yourself."_

_Why was he thinking about Raven anyway? Things were dead between them and had been for a long time. She did look damn good naked though, especially when she was writing underneath him and making all that noise._

_A long, feral growl rumbled in the man's chest and his jeans felt incredibly tight all of a sudden. Raven was a hellcat, a woman even he had troubling handling and she was the only female he had ever cared that much for. Yeah, the Wolverine would have done almost anything for that woman at one time. They had made a pretty good team and there was part of him that wanted her back in his life. Sure he was finally throwing up some kind of connection with his girl again, but he wouldn't have minded her mama back in his arms too._

_With a heavy heart and a wrinkled brow, he came to a quick stop outside the post office and hopped off the bike with a plan of pure action readying itself in his head._

_He was gonna get his Ray back and he knew just how to swing it too._

Changed? Why the fuckin' heck would I want to get changed so I can sprint about like some fool out there with my daddy? I ain't one for getting embarrassed or nothing, but that's one thing I draw the line at. And anyway, I catch sick if I exercise. No really, I do. I get real sick and my heart starts to do the Macarena if Ah get too crazy with my movements. Yeah, I'm sticking with that story, so shut your face.

But he did look real serious when he told me to get ready. Even those two whacks of his palm hurt like crazy. I was feeling proud when I didn't cry no tears at that. It makes me think of when I was real little and he'd wallop me for whatever. I'd always cry then and he would pick me up and hug me till I quit being a sobbing wave of dipshit.

Damn it, I don't wanna go running just because I went all art attack on his ape arm! How unfair is that exactly? I made his hairy assed arm look better, not worse. He should be feeding me praise until he goes green in the face. God, do I ever love the colour green.

Hey, there's that Kitty girl again.

"Country bumpkin comin' through," I bite out, trying not to smirk right in her face.

"Where's Logan?" she asks quietly, looking real worried as she stops in the hall beside me.

"He's in his room goin' like this in the mirror," I answer, opening my mouth wide and attacking my teeth with my fingers. "Ah think he got a squirrel bone caught up in his mangled teeth somewhere. That lil critter made a mighty crunch when he bit into it whole. Ah had to wipe the blood from mah face 'cause it exploded real bad."

"He- He ate Sunshine?" Kitty wails, tears in her eyes. "How could he do that? He was supposed to stop you from cooking that pie!"

I shrug, starting to walk again and trying my damnedest not to laugh my skinny, white ass off. "Mah Daddy is one hungry mother fucker. He ate mah pet rabbit once, then had mah brother's hamster for dessert. Heck, Ah was 'bout four or five at the time."

Lies, damn lies, but it sure is shit fun to make little miss perfect cry. Captain Hook, my happy little rabbit kicked the bucket one night in his cage. I cried like crazy but my daddy said he'd died a real happy death for a pirate rabbit. There weren't no teeth marks on him if you were wondering.

_Logan tore open the envelope, grabbing a pen from the kiosk and scribbling like crazy on the bottom of the paper. He hid Anna's words from view, not wanting to pry, but added a bunch of sentences from himself. He was never one to pick up a phone and beg for forgiveness anyway. So this seemed like the best option._

_Ray,_

_Hope you're keeping well and not being naughty. I still have your paddle in a box in my closet. You remember that weighty bit of wood with your name carved in the handle? Well it sure remembers you, misses your perfect bare ass too._

_Get what I'm trying to say, woman?_

_Logan_

_P.S. I know you're going to love the kid's words in here. She worked real hard on this letter, Darlin'. Got to say I'm proud of her for this. The girl writes perfect sense and I agree with every last word._

_Smiling to himself, the feral taped up the envelope and tossed it onto the counter before sliding the tape and pen back to the old woman behind the desk._

"_How soon can you get this sent off?" he questioned eagerly, grabbing his wallet._

"_In the next hour," the lady answered, sticking the stamp down on the white envelope and adding it to the rush pile. "And then airmailed out this evening."_

"_Good," Logan grunted, handing over the payment in the form of some tatty dollars. "'Cause that letter is damn important to me and my kid. Wouldn't want it getting' lost or you'd be getting some problems."_

_With a curt nod at the old battleaxe, he made his exit and couldn't help feel a little hopeful his woman would be jumping on some available flight come the next few days. Maybe he could even pick her up with the X-Jet? Yeah, that sounded a little better than letting her make her own way here. His Ray was never a fan of cattle class on those planes they used to travel on._

_Logan smiled as he made his way over to his motorcycle. He might have a donkey dick on his arm, but come tomorrow his family was going to be complete again._


	15. Remorse

**I'm going to try incredibly hard to slam another chapter out before I leave on my trip. I'm off to America on Tuesday, so please lock up your X-Men valuables!**

**In other news, after my rant in the last chapter I received a message from a very lovely person who assured me Americans aren't all stupid. Of course my generalisation doesn't include everybody in the entire country because I have friends and relatives over there. I was only talking about Republicans anyway. Haha!**

**Thanks to the following reviewers: TheWritingGirl23, lajoci, Zandra, Kima00, Buffyxenaman, V.L Crawford, Baby Dragon, Ravendally, gaben, Raven34link, Denver charm and Jamiekid9.**

* * *

**Remorse**

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"Ah'm dyin'," I grump tiredly, dropping to my knees and flopping forward to hug the life out of Mother Nature and the grassy ass of grass. "Fuck it tah grassy hell, Ah'm dyin'!"

Sighing, Logan circles me and fixes me with a look I ain't too fond of. I don't need no idiot telling me at my age I ain't gonna like nothing, but if you could see the way his eyes shift from friendly to fucking fucked off, you'd know what I mean.

"Watch your mouth," he grunts darkly, the anger slowly fading from his features when I glare back. He holds his hand out to me and sighs. "C'mon, Darlin'. We ain't even half way done yet. Hell, I thought a kid of mine would be chomping at the bit to get some air in their lungs."

"Air? Ah ain't got no lungs left for no air. They're dead, everythin' is dead! Mah thighs are dead, mah knees are dead, mah feet are deader than dead –"

"Your mouth don't seem to be," he snorts in amusement, reaching down and hauling me off the grass and to my feet. "This is why you should listen to your old dad, Kiddo. Any brat that messes with me gets one of my famous workouts and nobody comes off good. I don't make 'em run because it's fun, this is punishment."

"Ya can say that again," I mumble, slumping against his solid chest and closing my eyes. Goddamn, I can feel myself drifting off already I'm that shattered. Sleep, come get me! Please, come snatch my ass away from my Daddy. He's killing me here. "Ah'd rather get mah butt whooped to kingdom come then keep up this psycho runnin'."

Chuckling, Logan picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder. "Is that so?" he grins, getting some hilarious kinda kick outta my words.

Thinking he's gonna carry me to the hell fire home of wooden spoons, spatulas and his hard hand, I quickly make tracks with my mind and start to correct myself. "No! Ah like runnin' 'cause it's… It's ya know, Ah get to spend time with ya an' Ah don't cry or nothin'!"

He's real quiet for a little while, walking over to a nearby tree where our water bottles are hanging out in the shade. "Anna Bear," he says, setting me down and taking a seat with his back to the tree. "C'mere, Darlin'."

Gazing down at my Daddy, I feel like some little snot nosed kid again, happy 'cause her favourite parent wants to kick back and relax with them. I probably don't understand none of this properly, but I'm damn mad at Logan because I was always a daddy's girl. When he left me, I thought I'd driven his grumpy ass away and he'd never come back again. But nice stuff happens sometimes and he's back now which makes me wanna hope everything can fall into the normal way of doing things again. Stuff can be normal and happy in my life, right?

"Anna?" Logan calls, holding out his arms and disrupting my crazy, dumb thoughts.

Suffering through the damn embarrassment of knowing the tears are doing a Southern style Barn Dance in my eyes, I launch myself onto Logan's lap and swallow the lump in my throat.

"Hey now," Logan whispers, wrapping me in his arms and holding me close. "What are the tears for? I don't smell that bad do I?" he jokes, resting his chin on my tangled, two toned hair.

"Yeah, ya do. Ya stink." I reply snappily, hating the fact I'm a real blubbering wreck of a girl. There's nothing to cry about, damn it. Quit crying, Rogue, quit it!

_Raising an eyebrow, Logan didn't have to check her scent to know that wasn't true. He had a feeling he knew what was bothering her and causing the tears. "I've missed you too, Darlin'," he smiled, wiping the streams of tears away. "There ain't anything wrong with being happy about all this, you know?"_

"_Ah don't believe ya," his sullen little girl growled, burying her face in her hands._

_With a sigh, he decided to change tactics. "Hell, I know you haven't been here long but since I set eyes on you again, I've been doing some thinking, Kid. You already know I regret leaving you and your mama alone –"_

"_Where's this goin'?" his daughter grumbled and he could just tell she was rolling her eyes behind her hands._

"_If you keep quiet a minute I'll tell you," Logan responded, moving her hands away from her face and tapping her nose. "I was thinking back to those days when I had a family to come home to," he started to explain, part of him uneasy he was sharing his inner most feelings with somebody. "You, your Mama and Kurt."_

"_Kurt's at college now doin' his gymnastic shit on the side an' flirtin an' doin' the dirty with gymnastic equipment an' stuff," the girl blurted out, frowning up at her Daddy._

_He snorted at that, watching his kid with amusement. "Good to know, Darlin'. How's he doing at college? Always thought the boy was real smart for his age." He suddenly frowned and had an afterthought. "And watch your language."_

_Sticking her tongue out, Anna shrugged. "He's smarter than ya."_

"_Yep, he always was. The boy was a real smart cookie the day I first met him. Knew he was gonna go far," Logan sighed, starting to reminisce._

"_Smart cookie?" she smirked, looking around mockingly. "Ya didn't say ya had cookies, Daddy. Ah want cookies. Ah want 'em all."_

"_Yeah, yeah," he grunted, rolling his eyes. "Adult talk is boring, I get that. Anyway, what I was trying to say before you interrupted me was I want things to go back to the way they were. I ain't saying it's going to be easy, I know it won't be. But I'm willing to try if you and your Mama are, Darlin'."_

"_Ah'd rather chat 'bout the cookies ya gonna give meh," was her perfectly thought out answer and Logan scratched his jaw in silence._

"_You're gonna feel the flat of my hand if you don't shape up and take this seriously, Kid. I'm sitting here spilling my guts about you and your mama and that ain't easy for me." He stroked her hair away from her eyes and tried again. "Look, I don't want to sit here and argue with you, Darlin'. I just what you to try your best to listen, okay?"_

_Anna nodded and he was hopeful she would listen to him for once._

"_Good girl." Logan praised, breaking out into a grin, before falling solemn again. "It goes a little like this. Sometimes it takes folks longer than others to realise they messed up and I'm one of those people I guess. But now I'm ready to put it all right, so you know that letter you wrote for your mama?"_

_The girl's eyes were suddenly the size of the moon and he chuckled good naturedly, misreading the smell of panic wafting off her."Don't worry, Darlin'. I didn't read what you put or anything, I wouldn't do that." He smiled at her relief. "I ripped open the envelope and jotted down my own little note to your mama at the end of your letter."_

"_Ya did what?" Anna muttered, her eyes still wide with surprise and worry._

"_I want her back, Darlin'. I want your mama back because I miss her," Logan smiled sadly and played with a lock of the girl's hair. "I doubt anything will come of the letter but I had to try."_

Shit on a broken stick, something is going to come of the letter alright. Hell on a fiery earth, what did he do that for? No wait, I should be looking at this a different way because he didn't read what I wrote, so that's good right? Everything's good 'cause I ain't in trouble none.

I gaze into Logan's eyes and I instantly feel so shitty, I don't think I can even talk right now without blurting out what I did. It's time to make tracks and go come up with a plan before all this explodes in my face and I lose half my teeth, my tongue and my ass kicking vocal chords.

This is such bullshit! Why does he want Mama back for? He really knows how to cause trouble don't he? If he knew me well he'd know I wouldn't write nothing good and proper in no letter after what my Mama's done to me.

"Mah waters warm," I huff, trying to sound as pissed as humanly possible. My water's warm, grr! How the hell will I cope with warm fucking water! "Ah'm gonna go fill it up with some cold stuff. That okay?"

"Yeah, Darlin'," Logan sighs, kissing my forehead. "That's fine. And you know I love ya, right? I never stopped loving any of you even when I weren't there."

Nodding, I feel even shittier each time a word dive bombs from Logan's mouth. If he wants to kill me with guilt, way to go! He should get some kind of gold medal because he's really murdering me good right now. What's worse is some part of me I don't listen to real often wants my Mama and Daddy to get together again. No wait, what's even worse is my letter is gonna land at my Mama's like some massive, giant F- bomb and World War Three's gonna start.

"Ah'll be right back," I answer him, forcing a smile and grabbing the bottle. "'Cause Ah can't wait tah run some more."

He smirks my way and winks teasingly, making me stick my tongue out at him. I gotta put up and pretend I'm fine until I get out of his sight. You know this is real harder than it looks?

I even jog to the mansion, full of stitches and pain before I reach the pile of bricks. What's worse is some of that pains coming from my heart because I feel bad for my Daddy. I never knew he had that side to him and now I've wrecked his chance at getting my mama back. He wants her back real bad and I've cussed her out in that letter, even called her a whore. Crap, crap, crap, Logan's gonna skin me alive and my Mama won't wanna talk to him ever again. What if he cries harder than I do when I get spanked? What then? Damn it, I wanna run away so bad.

Slamming my way into the mansion, I turn sharply and storm through to the kitchen, my mind running and telling me to do the same. I know he's gonna kill me, my Daddy's gonna hate me and he's gonna kill me, then hate me some more.

"How was your afternoon, Anna?"

"Huh?" I mutter, looking up and snapping out of my thoughts. It's that guy with the red glasses again and I roll my eyes. Heck, I don't even get mad he called me that evil name. There's too much on my mind right now. "Yeah, great."

"You don't sound too sure," he jokes, buttering two slices of bread and beginning to hum.

"Girls ain't never sure of nothin', 'cept when they're right." I shoot back, leaning against the counter and staring at the clock. I watch the seconds tick by and I start to fidget. The time has come when I really need to do something, anything, to save my Daddy's heart and my ass.

Ignoring the look Scott gives me, my eyes fall on the garage door and then his face again. "Ah need ya to give meh a ride."

The boy frowns and I know he's suddenly suspicious. "What, why? Can't your Dad drive you wherever you want to go?"

Shaking my head, I drum my fingers on the countertop and start to tap my feet impatiently. "No, not really 'cause it's gotta be ya. Mah Daddy's real busy an' he told meh to go find someone to ask."

Scott sighs. "I would but I've got to—"

"Ya take meh where Ah gotta go an' Ah'll tell mah Daddy the truth 'bout the beer in ya bag," I promise, knowing I've got to do everything I can to get that letter back before it goes to Mississippi.

His eyes narrow and he steps away from his partly made sandwich. "What do you know about the bottle of beer in my rucksack?"

Biting my lip, I huff because I hate doing this kind of thing. It goes against everything the gang taught me to do. "Ah put it there, Red Eyes."

"You put it there and let me get in trouble for it?" Scott bellows, hands on his hips. "I should go find Logan right now and tell him what you just told me!"

Feeling shifty, I sigh and gaze over at the boy. He looks a lot like an angry, hopping mad tomato. "Ya got somethin' to use on meh now, good for ya. But first Ah gotta get to the Post Office real quick." He doesn't look like he's budging, so I keep at him until he caves in. "This ain't for meh or nothin', Scott. Ah'm doin' this for mah Daddy. Ah want him to be real happy an' if Ah don't get mah letter back he's gonna be hurtin' bad."

Scott heaves a sigh and walks towards the garage. "Fine. I'll drive you to the Post Office, but as soon as we get back we're going to have a talk with your dad."

"Whatever," I snort, following after him and tossing my water bottle in the sink as I go. "Talk all ya want to him."

'Cause the more Tomato Eyes chats to Logan the less time he's gonna have to chase me with that trusty old spatula of his. But heck, let's forget about that right now. I'm off to see a Post Office and I've gotta get that letter back if it kills me.


	16. Resurrection

**Okay, so I'm back again. For all of you wondering where I've been, no I haven't been incarcerated in America for all this time! Life was strange, but now it's not, and here I am. Yep, I'm quite happy with that explanation. **

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and I'm really sorry I abandoned this story again. Certain things were out of my control, other things needed addressing and I really needed to stop wasting my time on a few things that were killing my happy thoughts. It's just things, things and things from start to finish. **

**So it's time to roll out a thank you to each and every one of you. **

**Zandra – Thanks. **

**Buffyxenaman – Thank you! And I've written some more. **

**V. L. Crawford – I think she is too. The same could be said for poor Logan. **

**Blue – 10 – Spades: I feed annoying reviewers to Sabretooth. Everybody's mission in life should be to offend as much as possible and please do throw your opinion out there. That's what your mouth, keyboard and speech are for. :D **

**Baby Dragon – Ha! I do believe there are many Americans out there who aren't idiots. Hence why Obama won and Romney was kicked in the seat of his trousers. I dread to think what would have happened if he had won the election! What were people thinking voting for a man like Romney!? **

**Gaben – Thanks! I think Anna Bear lives in a house built, painted and decorated in poo. **

**Elektronik-Rainbow: It was a brilliant trip. I fell off a rock in Rocky Mountain National Park. I came to the conclusion I'd never fallen over surrounded by such beautiful scenery before. **

**Kima00 – I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for taking the time to review. **

**Ravendally – Thanks and I apologise for how long it has taken me to update. **

**Lajoci – Oh, I did run into lots of different people. One man in Oregon thought I was from Australia! Thanks for reviewing.**

**Jamiekid9 – You never know what the future holds. ;) Also, thanks for the review. **

**Raven34link – I want cookies too. I have custard creams, but no cookies. :/**

**RogueKurt122 – Aw, thanks. That's very sweet of you and I really am sorry I've left you waiting this long. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. **

**Guest – Ah, no, a Republican! XD And none of my preconceptions were silly. I know American very well. ;) My poor brother is inflicted with being born and raised in the USA. OK, I really will stop now. XD Thank you for reviewing and I really must stop teasing Americans! Do you know any good Brits are idiotic jokes? **

**SNHfvr – Um, now it's the beginning of December and I feel rather terrible only posting this now. I'm sorry for being so slow and I really do apologise. Thanks for the review. **

**Meag – Thanks! Dodgy reviewers are a pain in the arse. I start to wonder when people take the time to post rubbish like that. I'm happy if you're happy and I hope your happiness still flows after you've read this. **

**Rogue Fan – I love any fan of Rogue's and thank you for the compliments, they're appreciated in bundles. **

**Towers27 – How is Mexico tonight? It's absolutely freezing here. Thank you for giving me the kick I needed and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also thanks for reviewing. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Resurrection**

* * *

"Ya drive like some girl with a stick shoved up their hairy, stinkin' pussy," I grump, flicking the window impatiently and watching the city stuffed scenery dribble by at a slug's pace.

Scott's face holds the frown he loves to become real intimate with and shakes his head. "You know, people usually say I have a stick up my butt. But you, Anna, you certainly have a way with words. And before you say anything else or start to make fun of me again, you should remember we're here because you did something stupid and I'm trying to help you because I care about Logan."

"Yeah, that's real great," I snort, giving him a sideways look, "Ya care loads 'bout mah Daddy 'cause ya ain't got no old man of ya own. What, ya want mah Daddy too? No wonder ya bumpin' hips with that red-headed whore bag, ya both connected over grabbin' mah Daddy for yaselves!"

"What are you talking about?" he says, his words strained in annoyance as he struggles to keep his cool. "I don't want Logan to be my Dad! I had one already and he died. The Professor took me in when I needed somebody; he's my father figure now, not Logan. But that doesn't mean I don't look up to Wolverine. You seriously need to –"

"Heck yeah, Ah need tah kick ya ass," I agree, nodding firmly. "Just like Ah kicked ya girlfriend's ass an' ya know what? Ah'd do it again 'cause there's somethin' seriously wrong with that brass ball muncher."

He stops at a red light and turns to gaze at me with confusion. "Why are you jealous of us?"

The anger all but tears a whole in my heart and I snarl to myself and refuse to meet his stupid look. I ain't jealous of them and you better not think anything different. So what if mah Daddy was more interested in hanging about those fancy bricks of the mansion and raising those pieces of mutant shit.

Yeah, I'm going to be one of those ignorant sacks of crap who has some throbbing great problem with mutants. Thing is though, I only hate the ones my Daddy had a hand in raising. Why the hell couldn't he be there for me? I don't care if he had problems in Canada and that club he joined! I'm his kid, his only kid, and he should've been there to help me.

"Ah'd never be jealous of no two-bit hooker an' her wind-up monkey," I yell, my words punching from my throat and splintering through his head. "Ya get meh? Ah ain't jealous none!"

The boy scoffs. "Look, I think I understand what's going on here," he says, pulling away from the traffic lights and concentrating on the road ahead. "Anna, we don't want to take your dad away from you, we never did. We had no idea Logan even had a daughter."

That statement strikes ice through my veins and my eyes gather with hurt tears. My Daddy never even mentioned I was around and here I am fighting to keep his heart and hopes out there. Hell, I didn't wanna kill his dreams dead; kill his feelings because of my rage. I wanted to help my Daddy. I wanted to help him like he should have helped me and I get it now. All the folks out there are killers of my emotions and feelings. Even my family wanna break my heart and that hurts bad.

"Scott looks worried as he watches me out the corner of his beady covered eyes. "Look, I didn't mean –"

"Ah don't have a Daddy," I respond firmly, dragging my heartbroken thoughts through the mud and wiping at my eyes. "Turn this hunk of junk around an' take meh back tah the mansion. Ah'm gonna call up mah Mama 'cause Ah'm headin' home tonight."

"No, Anna, no," he tells me, probably realising he's put his dodgy foot in his fat, mutant mouth. "I didn't mean it like that! I'm sure Logan had his reasons for keeping quiet about you. He never spoke about his past, any of it."

I huff and stare at the boy with a dangerous scowl. "Ya better turn this car around now!"

_Logan stalked into the mansion and sniffed the scents surrounding the kitchen in suspicion. "What the hell?" he muttered to himself, catching sight of the half made and abandoned sandwich. "Scooter and the kid …?" _

_His feet took him to the connecting door leading to the garage and a growl rolled from his chest and rumbled from the dangerous feral's lips. Stepping on the concrete, he instantly noticed the place was lacking a red car he'd always labelled a 'shit box'. Now that jumped up slab of metal resting on four wheels had fucked off with his little girl! What the hell was that damn boy thinking? _

"_I'm gonna kill him," he snarled, storming for his jeep. "I'm gonna shove that car of his up his ass till he's sneezing metal for a month!" _

_Climbing on his motorcycle, Logan's eyes flashed with dark anger and a rumble of sheer fury as he kicked his bike into gear and tore out the garage in a cloud of burnt rubber and smoke. He had a Cyclops to gut. And his daughter was gonna be damn sorry when he caught up with her. What was she thinking taking off again!? _

"Anna," Scott says, noting the look on my face and quickly changing tact. "Rogue, I mean Rogue! Please, you need to calm down. Logan cares about you and he was probably trying to-"

"If ya don't pull over," I warn him, gritting my teeth as tears leak from my eyes. "Ah'm gonna do somethin' real dumb an' mah Daddy's gonna end up killin' ya for it!"

I reach for the door handle and my fingers tighten around it as my head pings like a pinball machine. How could he never mention me in no conversation? What'd I ever do to get played like I'm nothing more than some kid he met and didn't care for?

My own Daddy don't think of me when I ain't around and that cuts real deep. I'm a damn fool, ain't I. Here I am pouring everything I got into a swirling pot of worry and Logan couldn't give two shits that I even exist. I ain't gonna be making the same mistake again, that's for sure.

"We're on a mission here, remember?" he asks, trying to sound cheerful in spite of my heavy tears. "You want to help Logan and get this letter back. And when we do, you'll feel a lot better. The Professor always taught us that doing a good deed rewarded our faces with a bright smile. It makes your heart feel lighter and you're proud because you helped somebody."

"Cut the mushy crap!" I snap at him, my mascara and eyeliner running down my face like they're racing for the finishing line. "Ya'll haven't stopped spoutin' stuff like that since Ah got here an' ya drivin' meh real mad with it."

"I'm only telling you the truth," Scott sighs, sending me a worried look. "The Professor can help you too. He'll listen to you, Rogue. You and Logan can sit in his office and he'll help you both talk through your problems."

"Talk through mah problems?" I snort, trying not to sniffle as I wipe my eyes with my free hand. "Mah Daddy didn't wanna be in mah life 'cause he had better things tah do. He goes on 'bout how he cares but he never even mentioned Ah was walkin' round in Mississippi livin' mah life with mah mama."

The boy stops at a bunch of traffic lights and seems to be kicking up some thoughts in that tiny head of his again. "Logan's a great guy. If he never spoke about you than I think he had a very good reason. He's always looked after us, all of us, and we're not even related to him."

I scowl tearfully at him. "Ya ain't helpin'."

"Well, I'm trying to," he admits, taking a right and heading on down to the freeway. "I think your dad was trying to protect you. He knows some pretty nasty guys."

The thoughts build up and up until I have a skyscraper full of doubts and double the hurt piercing through my brain. I know what I gotta do to get right outta here and I don't give a damn what the consequences are. No pain is gonna be worse than what I'm feeling inside. My Daddy played me with all that talk about missing me and being real sorry.

"Rogue, seriously, I know I'm onto something here. Logan really was protecting you. You've only been here a day or two and he's already warned everybody not to upset you or he'd be on their case with Danger Room sessions."

I shake my head, thinking he's real wrong. I'm kinda starting to like Scott, even though he's a real dork. Maybe I've even got some creepy crush developing but I'm gonna blame that on losing my mind. Something tells me I've lost it 'cause I really wanna get outta here and he won't stop the car. I also have to hurt my Daddy right back. Yeah, Ah want to hurt him the worse possible way. But most of all, I don't like folks snatching the decisions away from me. Nah, I never was a big fan of nothing like that.

"Can you just answer me?" Scott sighs with a pleading gaze. "You're going to be here for a while and it'd help if we could be friends. I think you need a friend, Rogue."

I shake my head stubbornly. "Ah told ya tah hit the mansion," I tell the stupid asshole. "An' ya didn't listen to meh. Ya didn't turn the car around none an' that does nothin' for a friendship. Now Ah'm gonna show ya how tah hit somethin' else instead!"

_With his nose working in overdrive, Logan smacked the hell out of the speed limits and didn't have time to enjoy it one bit. He was following the scent of the shit box and his kid. Christ, he wasn't able to wrap his head around why Scott would take Anna from the mansion. What was that about? Why couldn't some tour of the town wait till Sabretooth was outta the goddamn way? _

_He was really going to rip Scooter a new one. Even the Professor was going to have trouble holding Logan back this time. He was fit to be tied when he got to thinking of how much danger his little girl could be in. Fuckers like Sabretooth didn't give up easily and Scott was dragging Anna off for a fucking drive! And what's more, she should have been doing laps because she was in punishment right now. There was still the problem of his arm housing a donkey dick for all to see! _

_Growling to himself, Wolverine concentrated of thinking about anything, anything at all as he gained more ground on the stupid kids. What he wouldn't give to hear from Raven soon. He wondered if the letter had hopped it out from the Post Office yet and when it would get dropped in her mail box. Shit, he was resting all his hopes on her being agreeable for once. Then again, when had Mystique ever been agreeable to what he wanted? _

_Nah, that didn't hold any merit because when he'd wanted to settle down and have a little tyke of his own, Raven had given him just that: A stable life, a marriage, a house in the suburbs and a kid to boot. The infuriating piece of ass had led him on a merry dance and he couldn't have asked for better. Shit, he missed her and he loved her. He was in love with Mystique and whatever happened he was gonna get her back. Not just for his sake, but for Anna-Marie's too. _

_Thinking of which, her scent was fresher now and he sped up, not wanting to lose her again. He grappled with a dangerous corner and took a bunch of shitty risks so he was in tune with where they were headed. Flying onto an interstate, he wondered where the hell they were going and he gunned it. _

_The wind struck his eardrums and the cars surrounding him were more than fucking music to his ears. If he kept this up he'd be nursing damaged hearing for a while yet, but something wasn't sitting right with him. He caught a panic inducing scent on the air and he was starting to worry like crazy. But when Scott's car came into view, his stomach almost crashed to the ground. _

_His grip tightened on the bars and he hurled down the interstate, wanting to reach the scene as quickly as he could. "Anna!" he roared, screeching to a halt and throwing his bike down. _

_Logan's boots thudded against the concrete as the worry coiled around his thundering heart. Shit, his kid, his fucking kid! _


	17. Ropes

**You've all made me realise there are some nice, decent people out there, so thank you. I guess I'm taking this so badly because I'm a little ill at the moment. I was a lot worse off a few months back but this has been a kick in both the teeth **_**and **_**gut.**

**I actually have Bipolar, Bipolar 2, to be exact. I find most folks out there have no idea there's even more than one type, but there is. Bipolar 2 is labelled as the softer side of the illness, but a label such as that is very misleading. It has the highest suicide rate of any mental health illness. I should really point out that I'm in no way suicidal; it's just part of the explanation I'm giving you all. I feel the need to throw everything out there so you understand it.**

**Anyway, who needs American RP pals? I always thought I played a better Logan. I'm throwing my modesty out the window right now as you can see. And guess what? I started many new threads over the past few months that were ignored and dropped. So they will all form new stories on here. Logan, Marie, Anna, Raven and Victor – They'll all appear on this site and I will lavish my love on them. But for now I need to take a deep breath, wipe the tears away and kick the shit out of this depressive episode. After all, I have this chapter to write. And, I'm sorry for my rambling. But it has made me feel a little better. I'll hand you your chapter now and stop pummelling your eyes with my misery. Ha ha. **

* * *

**Ropes**

* * *

I hyperventilate, struggling for breath as my eyes widen and bulge in my paler than normal face. This is real bad, real, real bad. Shit, I can't move! Holy shit, what do I do? Hell, shit, hell, somebody get me the heck outta here! I'm getting crushed, I can't breathe in here, Christ, I can't even move.

My eyes slowly slide open and for a long, crappy moment I think I'm pushing up hypodermic needles as I lay in a grave with my name on it. I was never one for playing with daisies and I'm gonna hold my dead self to that. But then my crazy tears start to fall and split my cheeks in half. I'm upside down, strapped in and resting on my bruised, bashed up head.

I want my Daddy. I don't know where Scott's at, but I want my Daddy bad. I don't give a damn how much trouble I'm in or what he's gonna do when he finds out about the beer and the letter. I just want him 'cause I'm scared.

Looking around, I start coughing when I catch a stink I don't wanna be smelling. Even God's playing with me right now. Is he tempting me with a lit cigarette or is this his way of telling me I'm about to be the meat of the fucking day. I'm gonna be barbeque food, ain't I? Shit, I haven't even hit the hairy yeti stage yet. I don't wanna die till I've learnt how to shave my legs. This ain't fair! It ain't fair!

Choking on a sob, I'm kinda thinking it ain't that scary to die, right? It won't be that bad, my Mama and Daddy will be okay and I guess this is the time I gotta start needing to think of religion and God rocking up in the clouds. I'm gonna kick him in the balls for doing me like this.

I've thinking I've got enough time to wipe my tears away and snatch up something great to say. Everybody's gotta have a kickass line to mutter. Famous last words - that type of thing. Ya getting me now? Yeah, I'm sure ya getting me. I don't have time to explain nothing more.

"Ah – Ah wish Ah had a belly full o' KFC. Ah love the chicken there. Yeah, Southern fried chicken."

I hope that's a real good enough line to have as my last. But then something happens. Somebody comes to help me and they're trying to finish me off sooner I'm thinking. They nearly gave me a heart attack.

_Logan was tense, Logan was panicking and Logan was fucking terrified. He'd never felt anything like the fear he did now. The scent of smoke was pushing his body to the limit and helped him reach the damn car faster than his metal loaded ass would have let him in other circumstances. But his kid was in there. In there with the smoke and that goddamn car was about to blow sky high._

_He skidded to a quick stop, hurled the fella away that was trying to help Anna-Marie get free and dropped to his knees. His heart was thundering in his chest as he crawled closer to his daughter and unsheathed his right hand claws._

"_Anna!" he barked, trying to catch her attention as the claws ripped through the seatbelt keeping her in place._

_Her heart was still drumming away, and a small part of him was relieved she was awake and able to cry her heart out. He figured it'd be a good idea to get her out the car now because the flames were raising merry hell out the corner of his eye._

_She dropped into his arms and he backed up on his knees, holding her close and breaking out into the fresh air. He heard the fire raging behind him and jumped to his feet, his boots pounding the ground as he ran from the wreckage._

"_Get down!" he ordered the people who'd stopped to help. "It's gonna blow!"_

_Logan dropped onto the grass and glanced over his shoulder, watching Scooter's shit box punch the sky with a hell of a fireball. His brows knit together and he whipped his head around, sheathing his claws and glancing down at his little girl._

"_Kid, Darlin', Anna?" he whispered desperately, heart caught in his throat. He brushed her flyaway hair from her damp forehead and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to me."_

_When she didn't answer, he peered in her eyes and caught the look of shock overtaking her._

"_Hey," he grunted, laying her down and checking her over for injuries. "You're okay, Kiddo, you're okay. Your Daddy's here, y'hear me? I'm here and I ain't going nowhere."_

Am I shaking or is Logan's fat ass creating one mighty earthquake around these parts? I think I'm shaking as I watch the car explode and I kinda see my life flash before my eyes. It's weird and I get to see I don't have no life to worry over. I've done nothing but kick off, treat folks like crap and run away when the going gets tough. Who the heck am I to fall apart and get my daddy real riled up and worried like this?

He looks to be scared to death and I'm feeling sorry for him. Ya have no idea how happy I was to see his ugly face poke through the window and come looking for me. I thought he was gonna give up on me completely after I left the mansion to go letter hunting, but he came after me, and he dragged my ass away from a burning car.

Shit, that car is really burning bright as the cops and their friends park up and come a running. I'm shaking even more now and I'm freaking the fuck out.

"D-Daddy," I call out, the words stuttering and doing a quiet dance on my lips. "Ah'm scared," I tell him, reaching out with a bruised and bloody hand to hang off the front of his shirt.

"Shit," he grunts, checking over my hand. "This just a scratch?" He gently takes my hand in his and turns it over in his palm. "I knew I could smell some blood," he sighs, leaning down and pecking me on the forehead. "And you don't need to be scared, Darlin'.

A cop breaks into our conversation and I want him to arrest his damn self. I don't wanna be dealing with no cops, I just want to be left alone right now. I only want my Daddy to hug me loads. That's all.

_Logan nodded at the cop and gathered his kid back into his arms. He couldn't find another injury, only bruises, and though that didn't sit right with him, he hugged her tightly and sighed._

"_I need this one checked out by the docs," he told the fella, climbing to his feet and curling his daughter closer to him._

"_Was she a passenger in the car?" the policeman questioned rapidly, waving for the paramedics to head on over and do their business._

"_Yeah," he answered, carrying his girl over to the waiting ambulance. "And I need her looked at. She's got some bruises and I don't like 'em one bit. That seatbelt did some damage when it saved her."_

_Stepping inside the vehicle, he stooped down, laying his kid out on the gurney. "You hold on tight, Anna. They're gonna get you sorted real quick."_

_He dropped down into the seat opposite the gurney and watched the paramedics question her as he sat there in a wave of silence. His thoughts settled on what he would have done if he'd lost his daughter today. He wouldn't have been able to move on with his life that was for sure. She was the apple of his eye and the animal inside him was demanding he keep her safe from harm. He'd fucking failed to do anything of the sort today._

_The feral heaved a heavy sigh and eyed his kid getting her hand wrapped up and slathered in antiseptic cream. His nose was still tinged with the scent of smoke and his eyes narrowed. Heads would roll for this. He was gonna jump into papa bear mode with a pop of his claws._

"_Excuse me," a voice called out, and his eyes darted to the head it belonged to. "We need to talk. The truth needs to come out because this was a dangerous accident."_

_Logan cracked his knuckles as he fought with his feral instincts. "Yeah, bub, I agree with yer there," he grunted at the smartly dressed cop. "But I ain't moving from my little girl's side right now. The questions can wait."_

_Hell, he could always sniff out a cop. The shifty eyes they carried helped matters, too. But enough was enough. He was sticking by his Anna's side._

_The man, Focker by name, and fucker by nature, spoke with a grim voice. "The driver of the car, do you know who he is? We need somebody to identify him."_

_Wolverine's eyes narrowed and he sat up, the hairs on the back of his neck spiking. He'd forgotten all about Scott fucking Summers while he was wrestling with the guilt of his kid getting smashed up in a car wreck._

"_Identify him?" he said gruffly, slowing standing up. "What, he dead or something?"_

* * *

**I think I've finally managed to type myself out! But really, a huge thank you to all those who messaged me and commented on my heartfelt thoughts. You have no idea how much I needed to air my feelings and what a big help you all were. It's nice to know I'm not the only person who has been let down like this. And I think I understand now. It's part of life when people move on and sometimes you're left behind. It happens to the best of us and although it hurts, you need to chalk it down to experience. I'm going to try and do this.**

**I also hope being honest about my mental health illness will let you know that we're all different, some more than others, but we all count in the bigger picture of things. My mind might be different to yours, but I'm an okay person. I try to do what's best, I try so hard sometimes and often it doesn't make a difference. That's okay though because I'll keep trying. And you never know when you might meet somebody who is suffering inside. Invisible illnesses can be just as devastating as a physical one.**

**Anyway, thank you to the following reviewers: Imani, Malikai, gaben, V . L. Crawford, Mimi, Cosplay, HPMonster, jamiekid, deathredsnow and Mimi and Malikai again!**


	18. Remains

What can I say? I'll keep it short this time, but I'm sorry about the wait. I've been up, down and around this year and I'm working on a safety net: a human one. In January my uncle suffered a mental breakdown, then my mum ended up in hospital (scariest moment ever!) and now my auntie has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It's true; bad news really does come in threes! But, I'm back for now, I hope. I've just been working on assignments for college and trying to keep myself busy with rubbishy tasks such as housework. Ugh. I also jumped head first into a diet, lots of writing, ect.

I'm UP right now, though. Quite very up! A serious lack of sleep has tucked me inside a canon and shot me toward the stars. Actually, it's rather fun. Did you see what I posted yesterday when I went off on a tangent? Yes, a Marie/Victor story was plaguing the depths of my depravity so I conjured up something and slapped it down in the place where movies are kept. I'm rather happy with the opening and I've always wanted to tear everything apart and throw a baby Logan in there somewhere. Also, two people on here somewhere have added that story to their favourites and haven't even left a review! So, I sent them a PM and I actually think I was rather polite. It doesn't leave me with a sense of inner fluffiness when reviewers don't review – and I do crave an inner sense of fluffiness, mostly. If you receive a PM with the title, 'When in Rome', search for the meaning of the phrase online, and you will understand what I am trying to say. I just want people to be polite and leave a review. It helps me tremendously, it truly does.

Anyway, thank you to the following people for reviewing – Um, you know what? I'll send you all a thank you PM. There were a lot of lovely messages that were left to me after the previous chapter and I really need to answer them. Well, I can't send one to 'Guest' who reviewed, so I will toss them a thank you right here. Guest – Is Scott dead? My lips are sealed; my fingers should probably be, too. Thanks for reviewing and here's the update! I hope you like it.

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**Remains**

* * *

Here I am, alive, real alive 'cause my heart is beating and everything, but hell, I can't help thinking with my ass. Yeah, I know how bad that sounds, but even though I'm spiked with shock and scared as heck, I'm starting to catch up the gaping problems I've gone and caused. Logan's gonna kill me - my Daddy, Wolverine, the fella with the iron stare, smoky breath and jail-like rules. You know, the one with metal sucking on his fucking pimped up knuckles. Yeah, him! He's gonna kick my ass, hit my ass, whack my ass, slice my ass, wallop my ass, whoop my ass, then he'll kill what's left of it. You read the panic I'm suffering through? Shit, yeah, I'm panicking like a fat folk whose local McDonalds don't serve cheese burgers no more. And now some folk in a uniform is trying to stab me real bad!

"Quit with ya pokin', porky," I grumble quietly, my eyes bleeding in a stab of grumpiness stifled with a stroke of mind-numbing pain. "Ya want some folk comin' along an' hurtin' ya bruised body with a needle, huh? Ah'm bettin' ya mama would be real disappointed in ya for attackin' meh when Ah've gone through a crashin' wreck," I point out, trying to sound sharp, but failing 'cause I'm going to cry if he keeps it up.

The hairy-faced paramedic with the dull chocolate chip coloured eyes and tanned, over-stuffed cheeks sighs at me, looking like a hamster that's lost his nuts. "Pasty complexion, Sid," he says to the thin rake of a man beside him. "She's in shock."

"Ah always look real pale!" I argue, though my words are still clouded with the looming threats of a sniffle or ten. "Ah'm… Ah just… Daddy…" My eyes swallow the empty seat that was housing Logan's Canadian ass and I don't see his wild hair nowhere. I blink, wondering if I've lost my mind or something. He did drag me out the crumpled up car, didn't he? That weren't no dream, was it?

_Logan had left the ambulance behind, his face as tough as a newly minted dime. His nose twitching, he stalked after the shady looking cop with a keen eye and a craving for beer. He didn't smell the fresh stench of death in the air, but he knew full well Slim could have taken the back door out of life and not left a scent for him to pick up. "You said you needed an ID on the other passenger," he grunted, uneasy with the silence. "I'm the right man for the job, but I've got to know what I'm dealing with first." _

_Detective Daten Focker paused in the middle of the closed interstate, his charcoal locks slicked back and contained by a dragon's dumping of perfumed wax. His eyes crinkled in a supreme show of authority as he cleared his throat, entirely at ease with dealing in dangerous collisions in heavily congested cities. "The male passenger was thrown from the vehicle," he stated, as though he was sharing a closely guarded secret with the broad shouldered man. _

_Nodding, a guarded Logan waited for the inevitable. The fire brigade were ridding Cyke's pride and joy from the flames nipping at the bones of the car, but that didn't mean shit if the boy was dead. "Yeah, he weren't in the car when I pulled my Anna out of it," he admitted, scratching at his stubble loaded chin as the smell of smoke packed its bags and moved into his nostrils for the time being. "He was thrown clear, I get that, but what state's his body in? I've got to hand this news over to some joint friends of ours and it won't be pretty. They're close to the kid, least they were before he died." _

_Focker snapped his tightly bound leather notepad out his deep coat pocket, and flipped it open, parker pen standing at the ready. "Hmm, so you know the unidentified victim?" he questioned, tapping the tip of the pen against the crisp, virgin paper. _

"_I've known him since he was this high," Logan explained gruffly, the side of his palm tapping his hip. "He was full of snot and big ideas when he was younger." The feral man frowned darkly to himself, the thought of the dead boy knocking his gut into check. "To be honest, not much has changed since then, except his height and shoe size. The kid was always too big for his boots, not that I'm talking down on the dead. I liked him, you know. We had our differences in the past, but I liked him. I saw him grow into something that would have made a half-decent drinking buddy, and now look what's happened; he's pissed his future up the wall because he was showing off to the speed limit. Near on took my little girl with him, too." _

_The detective scribbled the man's ramblings down in a sequence of neatly written notes. He seemed to be getting somewhere with his questions. "And how long has he been a mutant?" he asked pleasantly, his words carefully slipped into the conversation. "I need a detailed account of his mutation, too." _

_Logan growled lowly at the question, his muscles suddenly tense and his inner animal ready to slaughter everything with a pulse. "What the hell is this, bub?" he demanded to know, grabbing the cop by the front of the shirt. "How'd you know the boy was…?" His words died down, his growled thoughts churning out a direct call to Charles' mutation. "Need some help here, Chuck. I'm about to slice somebody's tongue out if you don't step in with your magic." _

_Daten balked at the statement, still struggling to take his notes down in a precise manner. "I could spout how many charges I'm going to file when you're arrested, but I don't have enough time to –" _

"_You got that right, bub," Logan grunted, dropping the cop's shirt when the asshole froze like a statue. This wasn't a trip to the park, though. And he had some unfinished business to tend to. He started to make his way to the ambulance again, his body on autopilot. "Chuck, you there?" _

_A grave Charles began to communicate with the feral in his mind. "Yes, I'm here, Logan. I'm boarding the X-Jet with Storm as I speak." _

_He made a noise of approval as he stalked by another group of cop statues, one wearing a pigeon on his head. "You best hurry, then. I don't like the questions they're asking and this whole operation stinks." Clearing his gravelly throat, he rolled his shoulders. "About the boy, Charles…" _

"_He hasn't passed on, Logan. There's no need to worry. Do you see that ambulance behind you? Yes, that one. It's about forty feet away from where you're standing now. Scott is in there, unconscious, and most probably injured, but he's as well as can be expected," the wheelchair-bound man sighed, concern easily detectable in his voice. "Hank's coming, too. So, don't worry, he will check Rogue's injuries over once we arrive. We will be there in five minutes, Logan." _

_Grunting, Logan felt the Prof's presence sink from his head, and he shook it, trying to come to terms with what was going down. Slim hadn't kicked the bucket and he was thankful for small mercies because he had never been decent with delivering bad news. But why had the bastard with the notepad made it sound like he had? Growling to himself, he boarded the ambulance with a scowl. _

Waving my cut-up middle finger in front of Mr. Furry-and-I-Know-It-Clap-Your-Hands' face, I bite my lip and start to wonder what the hell has gone down here. Did I whack my body harder than I thought or something?

Those two fellas with the blood pressure thing and the whiny voices have gone and played the part of a frozen chicken that's been loving on a freezer for a month. "Hey," I call out, poking the lanky one on his spotty chin. He rocks forwards, then backwards, and I poke him again. "Ya remind meh of one of those rockin' horses," I tell him in amusement, scrunching my milky-white brow. "But ya know what? Ya don't look like no horse an' Ah ain't gonna put a saddle on ya scrawny back tah ride ya. An' ya wouldn't win no races or nothin', so Ah'm thinkin' ya real worthless tah all the jockey folks out there spittin' on grass."

"Anna-Marie, come on," Logan growls, offering me his hand. He's carrying a real look I'd pin on a drunk tabby cat who can't catch no mouse. Yeah, that's what his face is playing out. "Kid, listen to me would you? We're past doing what you like right now."

I grin madly, my smirk almost splitting my face in two. "Nah Daddy, Ah ain't finished here yet." My finger roughly prods the paramedic again, happy to blame my happiness on drugs. Yeah, drugs, the type you drink in with your nose and mouth when you're in pain 'cause, I dunno, that's how the world works.

"They give you gas and air?" he sighs, reaching over and trying to pick me up as he leans in, sniffing at my eyes. Least I think that's what he's doing.

"Ah dunno, but it's real good an' everythin'. Ah don't feel no pain, neither. They had me suckin' on this tube thing an' now Ah'm real, real… Hey, Ah'm floatin'," I giggle, my head lolling back and forth as a loud thud pummels my ears.

My daddy frowns at his feet, holding me in his arms like a newborn baby. "You see that, darlin'? That's why you should listen to your old man once in a while. He's probably got a concussion after taking a knock like that to his head." He jerks his thumb toward the poker-straight, beanpole of a fella on the ground. "I seem to remember telling you not to run around poking people when you were five. Most kids I come across listen to me when I growl, Kiddo," he sighs heavily, stepping over the body.

"Ah don't wanna listen tah ya none, Daddy," I murmur, thinking the sun looks real bright from where I'm hanging out, hanging around, and just hanging.

"We'll be talking about that later, Kid, because you're going to be listening to me from now on, you hear me? Your backside's grounded till you hit thirty, but don't worry, I'll be keeping you plenty occupied with chores and schoolwork," he grumbles, carrying me away from the ambulance and through a whole circus of hard, hardy, hardened folks waiting for the rest of the pigeons to flutter on in.

As I wrinkle my button nose up until I'm giggling again, I shake my head and flick his cheek. "Ah don't wanna be grounded none 'cause mah ass ain't for groundin'. Ya hear meh, Daddy? Ya can't ground meh when Ah was out here helpin' ya."

"Helping me?" Logan grunts, trying to shoot my great, big happiness down like some mighty laser beam that's been trained by a Wolverine shaped rabbit. "How the hell were you helping me, Anna-Marie? You broke your grounding, took off with a kid you don't even know, got yourself caught up in a car wreck and nearly got yourself killed in the process!"

"Hey, ya yellin' at meh," I mutter, blinking slowly. "Ya can't yell at meh neither 'cause Ah'm happy on that gas stuff."

"Yelling?" he growls, sitting me down beside the second ambulance and stooping low to scowl right in my face. "I haven't even started yet. You and me, we're going to have it out once I know you're on the mend and there's no lasting damage from the accident. I mean it, darlin', I'm not your mother and if you break my rules, put yourself in danger and throw your common sense out that pretty, little head of yours, I'm coming down on your ass like a tonne of bricks." His eyes soften and he pecks a kiss on my clammy forehead. "You hold down the fort here while I drag Summers out the back of this hunk of junk. Chuck's on his way to pick us up, okay? Once we're loaded onto the jet, Hank's going to check you over again. I'm not sure what the hell those trained monkeys were doing back there, but you've taken to that gas like your mama does diamonds."

He shakes his head and leaves me to it for a real long moment. I'm thinking I'm in trouble, but I don't mind 'cause my head, my heart, my arms, my legs, my chest and my hair, they're all feeling real good, proper and alive. And would you look at that, there's noise, the silvery clouds are parting waaaay up in the sky and this black jet-shaped bug is landing over there, on a patch of grassy grass that probably smells like grass because it's green.

"Ah'm real funny," I grin, closing my eyes for a second or two. "That letter was a bunch of singin', dancin', laughin' funny, too. Ah've still gotta get it back though, Daddy. Ah've gotta get the letter back!" I call out, hoping Logan can hear me holler. "Ah didn't want it sent none but it scrambled away from meh in ya ratty, ape hands an' now mama's gonna hate us forever. Ya don't understand none 'cause ya ain't got no brain or nothin', but she don't like gettin' called a whore an' that's what Ah did in that letter. Ha! Yeah, that's what Ah did. Ah called mama a whore over an' over an' over an' over an' over again. Over an' over an' over… Ah'm tired, real, real tired. Ah've gotta sleep real bad." The longer I chat away the more sleep I'm catching and as quick as I used to flash those truckers back in the day, I'm spent, sliding to the ground and curling up like a baby. I've gotta sleep now. Yeah, sleep.


	19. Rummaging

**Thanks to the following reviewers: Crawford, Guest, Malikai, Buffy, Wandering, Gaben, Anakin, GirlonFire, Supreme, Jubilation and Raven. I've been on a bit of writing spree lately, so please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Rummaging**

* * *

"She's on morphine?" Logan sighed in relief, stooping down to sit beside the perplexed blue Beast. "That explains the shit she's been saying I guess." He rested his large palm on his sleeping daughter's head and his brow furrowed deeply in thought. There was still something niggling in the corner of his mind and he couldn't leave it alone. "Though… No, she wouldn't pull a stunt like that."

"Logan?" Hank glanced at the burly man sitting beside the lone bed in the rabbit warren of rooms underneath the mansion. He could almost see through his friend's thoughts without having to bribe him with beer, which made a change. "You think whatever she said to you while under the influence was the truth?"

The feral grunted, his eyes never leaving his kid's angelic-looking face. "Maybe Hank, maybe," he muttered, his head putting the puzzle pieces into place. "Kid's never been good at telling the truth without a little help. The only difference is when she was younger I'd wallop her bare backside when she lied to me or her mother. Ever since I've been away she's been able to do whatever the hell she likes, and something's just not right here." He heaved a thoughtful sigh. "I can smell lies, Hank, you know that. I didn't smell any on her, though. When she was talking it was pure true."

"So, you're saying you didn't smell a lie on her earlier?" he enquired, filling out Anna's medical chart to hang on the bottom of the bed. "That doesn't mean she's done anything wrong. The morphine might have been interfering with the cerebrum. That's a very interesting part of the brain where memories are made and stored."

"I don't care," he grumbled, leaning his full weight against his feet as he left his chair and straightened himself out. "I've got a real funny feeling about all this. It's right there, in my gut." He rolled his shoulders and growled lowly. "Something's been going on, Hank. And that something has been happening right under my nose. Now, where's Slim? I want to interrogate the damn boy."

Beast set the plastic clipboard down at the foot of the small bed. "You can't talk to him, Logan. He's not ready to receive a visit from you. He's -"

"Watch over the kid would you? I've got some business to take care of," Logan stated, fury rolling forth through his tense muscles. He was edging closer to full-on papa bear mode and he was looking to slice and dice Summers from sternum to kneecaps. Something had been going on and he was about to find out what. He ignored Hank's calls to come back, calm down or see sense because he wasn't having any of it. But when he stalked down the long, lonely hall steeped in light, he grumbled when he saw the Professor sitting tall outside the boy's room.

"Logan," Charles greeted calmly, his eyes remaining on the glass window that allowed them to see Scott. The X-Men leader was littered with tubes and there was a padded bandage wrapped around the crown of his head. The boy was pale and neatly devoid of all life, which worried the wheelchair bound man deeply. "How's Rogue?"

"Rogue?" he snorted gruffly, standing beside Charles. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the goggle-wearing asshole sleeping like a pampered brat in the clean sheets. "Her name's Anna, Charles. I don't know where she picked up that other name, but it doesn't suit her," he sighed.

"I assumed it was a name she favoured, seeing as she disapproved of my voice each time I called her 'Anna'," he said, light amusement illuminating his words as he attempted to break the gloominess dampening the corridor. "How is she feeling?"

Logan exhaled roughly and his thumbs settled inside the loops of his battle-scarred jeans. He thought his kid was going to be just fine. "She's sleeping off her high. The damn paramedics probably took exception to her mouth and shot her up with morphine. Least that's my take on things. Hank checked her out and she's housing a few bumps and bruises, and a whole load of trouble is going to come her way once she wakes, too." His eyes snapped to the Professor's. "And if she gives you any trouble, let me know. She's not going to be rude to you or anybody else."

"She's not rude, just refreshing," he replied honestly, watching Scott sleeping. "The girl's a breath of fresh air, Logan."

"Is that your way of saying my life was getting stale?" he asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at his bald-headed friend. "If it was, you might have been on the right track there, Chuck. Though, when Ray told me I was getting my little girl back, I didn't expect a car wreck on the horizon. Slim's heap of junk went off like a firecracker the size of Manhattan Island. Damn near ripped out my heart, too."

Charles made a noise of understanding. "It might have been, old friend. And don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of the accident," he promised gently. "Once Scott's awake I'll be talking to him."

"What do you mean once he's awake?" Logan said, scowling. "The boy's in there doing an impression of Sleeping Beauty. We can wake him up now and interrogate him. I was always the man who'd do the interrogations during the war."

Charles sighed, beginning to rub his temples. "Which war, Logan?"

"All of them as far back as the American Civil War," he grunted, glaring like a lion watching his prey beyond the glass. "Only got involved in that one because I didn't like slavery, and most people I came across during the time were more interested in lining their pockets with money or their hands with blood. Not me though, I did what I had to do and then I went home again. But hell, I made a decent interrogator. I always knew when to hit and when to talk. Those types of things come in handy when you have a kid like mine as well."

The Professor shook his head. "I don't know where to start, Logan. But no war-style interrogations under this roof, please. And no threatening the students and that goes for Scott, too. I know you're angry but this needs to be handed delicately."

"Angry?" Wolverine snorted roughly, a growl building in his muscular chest as he talked to the Professor. "I passed angry the minute the car blew sky high, Charles. I'm going to kill him. I don't give a damn how long I've known the boy; I'm going to kill him. The moment he took my kid away from the grounds he sealed his fate. Crashing his fucking car was pure stupidity on his part because now when I do shred him to ribbons I'll make sure it's as painful as possible for him."

Charles glanced at the feral with a look of disharmony on his face. "I see you've given this some thought," he said, less than surprised. "But I can safely say I doubt Scott kidnapped the girl, Logan. I have no idea where they were going or what they were doing, yet I can be sure it wasn't a case of kidnap."

Logan struggled with the concept of still being in the dark. He wanted to know what the hell his Anna-Marie had been up to. "Go ask Scooter then," he ordered. "I don't have all day, Charles. And you won't want me asking him because I'm close to popping my claws."

"I can't," the bald man explained softly, his eyes glazing over in concern. "Hank gave him something to sleep. Scott's head has taken a hard knock and we think it would be for the best if he slept until his brain had time to fully heal."

Wolverine looked disappointed. "Are you saying the boy's in an induced coma, Chuck?" he said in a gravelly tone.

The Professor spoke with crisp worry. "Yes, that's what I'm saying," he admitted. "Cyclops is a little under the weather, okay? He needs to rest. Once he's in better health we can all sit down and talk this over, Logan. But for now, you need to allow him to recuperate. Go spend time with your daughter, old friend. She's been through so much today."

Logan grunted in agreement as the Professor began to wheel himself away from the room. "Yeah Chuck," he muttered, nodding curtly. "My little girl's been through the wringer. That's one matter we see eye to eye on." He clenched his fists as felt the rage resurfacing as he glanced towards the window again. That punk in there was taking a snooze when he'd almost killed the Wolverine's kid! And as his anger continued to boil below the surface, Logan swung into action and stormed inside the room, clicking the door shut behind him. This was going to end now.

The air was swarming with the stench of medication, fresh bandages, antiseptic creams and sweat as the dangerous feral searched through the clinical-style cupboards opposite Scott's bed. He scanned the contents and snatched what he needed into his calloused palms. Not only had he learned how to be a keen interrogator in his time, but he'd also learned a thing or two about being a medic when he'd rolled his way through all the wars. He knew how to wake the boy up, and decency be damned, because Summers was about to get a rude wake-up call.

He approached the bed, a growl rippling from his curled lips as he grabbed a fresh needle from a drawer stuffed full of medical supplies. With a murderous look he uncapped the needle, slipped it into the clear solution and loaded the syringe as he readied the plan. "You and me need to talk, boy," he rumbled, looming over Scott and slamming the needle into one of the kid's fresh veins. "It's time to rise and shine, Cyke. And you're going to wish you were being wrangled in one of my Danger Room sessions."

Scott stirred awake, a blinding light flashing against his glasses. His groaned in pain and shifted his half-closed eyes to the scowling face almost level with his. "L-Logan?" he murmured, his throat hoarse. "What's going on?"

"What's going on?" the Canadian snarled, getting in the boy's face. "I'll tell you what's going on, bub. You took my daughter, dragged her into a car wreck and almost got her fucking killed!" His temper shattered and three razor sharp claws ripped through his knuckles. He held the gleaming tips of metal to Scott's throat and growled, just daring the little shit to move. "You going to tell me what the hell you were thinking, huh?"

"I – It wasn't my fault!" he stammered, staring straight into the face of an unhinged feral. His hand held the side of his aching head and he started to remember the accident, and what had caused it too. "Look, it wasn't my fault. Logan, I'm serious. You know I don't drive like an idiot!"

Logan growled fiercely. "Bullshit," he spat, pressing the claws against Scott's clammy skin. "Bullshit, Summers. You _did_ something stupid. The car exploded!"

"Exploded?" he whispered, his eyes alight with misery, loss and a sudden realisation that Logan was going to kill him. "It was Anna, she hit out at the steering wheel while I was driving. She started shouting, she sent a letter to her mom that she wanted to back, and she was the one who stole your beer! I was only trying to help her, that's all. I felt bad. The letter, she said she-"

The raging feral interrupted his prey as the last of the jagged puzzle pieces slammed into place. "She called her mother a whore," he murmured steadily, staring down at Scott. "She threw a tantrum in the car, she stole my beer and she wrote a hateful letter to Ray." He sheathed his claws and tossed the syringe to the floor with a mighty snarl. "My kid's the beer thief. She took my beer? Hell, she pulled the wool over my damn eyes." He carried on ranting to himself and stormed for the door, leaving a fearful Scott behind. "My kid's going to get her hide tanned until she's howling!"


	20. Rabbits

**Rabbits**

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**Thanks to everybody who reviewed. There was one review that really caught my attention, though. It commented on the last chapter and the way Scott reacted. He was quite a coward and that's what I wanted to show. I always planned for it to be that way because it ties in with this chapter where an ashamed Scott (who I don't like) discusses his reaction with the Professor.**

**The scene in the last chapter was meant to cause a rift in the X-Men, show Logan as deeply protective when it comes to his daughter, and to provide the readers with another side to Scott's public face. He woke up in pain, he was in shock, Logan was looming over him and he could obviously see something in the man's eyes he'd never seen before. So, I do think that was a reaction that was in keeping with the way I write Scott's character. In the actual Evolution programme, he's too straight-laced and there's no depth to him. But really, his cowardliness shines through because he realised what Logan has been fighting against all this time: a dangerous feral side that will kill if it means his child is safe from harm.**

**I've never attempted to keep Scott in the shell of the character you may see on the actual programme, movie or read in a comic. I take liberties, mess around with him, and I do all I can to add different elements to his character. If any of you have read my other story 'Ain't No Sense in Sugar-Coating It', he's also not quite the man he is in the movies. It's always deliberate on my part because everybody is scared sometimes. I guess his fear has flourished because he knows Wolverine can become an unstoppable killing machine under certain circumstances and people will die. But yes, I enjoyed reading that review (and answering it!) because it raised some points I needed to clear up.**

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The circular and dependable clock on the wall struck ten o'clock at night and a pair of puzzled eyed opened. "Professor," Scott murmured, smiling weakly when he spotted his mentor sitting beside the bed. "What are you doing here?"

Charles turned his serious gaze towards the student and was relieved to see him in better spirits. "Keeping a vigil, Scott," he replied, steeping his fingers together to support his thoughts as he spoke. "After what happened this evening, I thought you might need to talk."

"Logan wasn't happy, was he?" the X-Men leader mused lowly, gazing at the bald-headed man. "He, I mean, I've never seen him like that before. I thought he was going to kill me."

"He's having difficulty dealing with the guilt and worry for his child," Charles said, offering the boy his full support. "I didn't have a chance to discuss his behaviour with him, but all in good time. And I believe he needs a moment to himself to reflect on what happened and how he dealt with his fear."

"You really think he was scared?" the boy asked, thinking back to how he'd reacted when he had come face-to-face with the snarling Logan. "Professor, when I woke up and saw him, all I could do was stutter and plead. I couldn't even stand up for myself. I just lay in this bed and told him everything I could because I was scared of him."

"You were both scared, Scott, and there's no need to be ashamed of fear," the Professor replied, installing a sense of calm in his student. "Logan was afraid of losing his daughter and allowed his anger to drive his emotions. You've survived an accident that could easily have ended your life, and when you were disturbed from your sleep, you were disorientated and put under immense pressure."

"I guess I was," Scott muttered, his gaze travelling to the door. "It doesn't make me feel better, though. I acted like a coward. You know what? Maybe I don't deserve to be the leader of the X-Men."

"I have no plans to change the formation of the X-Men," he said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled. "And I believe you're being too hard on yourself. " He patted the boy's knee. "As for Logan, he won't be returning to interrogate you tonight, Scott. You have my word you're safe in here."

"I wasn't worried about that," the boy admitted, slowly sitting up with a pained wince. He looked at the Professor and sighed. "When Logan questioned me, I was worse than a coward, I was a snitch."

The Professor's eyes danced with amusement at the turn of phrase. "A snitch?" he asked, intrigued by his mentee's solemn face. "I have to say, that does sound rather ominous."

"That's because it is and I made a mistake," he sighed, guilt brimming in his stomach. "I just wanted Logan to leave me alone, Professor. What happened in the car wasn't my fault and I needed him to know that, but I think I went the wrong way about telling him."

"You mean Rogue?" Charles whispered, his brow furrowing in concern. "She hit out at the steering wheel while you were driving and she caused the accident."

"Are my thoughts really that loud?" Scott said, leaning his head in his hand and releasing a heavy sigh.

"Yes," he replied, smiling once more. "But you did the right thing, Scott. As Rogue's father, Logan needs to know what happened because only he can deal with her misbehaviour. As things stand at the moment, I think you chose the right path to take. There will be no lasting damage from this, I promise."

"What about my car?" the X-Men leader griped, suddenly remembering what Logan had said. "It exploded, didn't it? I guess I should be thankful both me and Rogue were okay."

"Yes, you should," Charles replied. "It could have been a fatal accident, Scott. The car can be replaced, you know that. Now try and get back to sleep. You need to rest."

Scott settled down to sleep with a frown. He had a feeling everything wasn't going to be as easy as the Professor thought.

* * *

Yeah, I'm awake and I know that 'cause my eyes are real open and everything. Yeah, the shutters were raised, my eyelashes did no fluttering, and then I was here, in this white-washed room. I'm thinking it's made out in the colours of Santa's beard white, and robot silver, with a spit of blue Furbie's fur. Uh-huh, the room I'm in looks just like that, and that's my way of saying it needs a real good makeover or something.

"Ya look like a Furbie," I mutter to the fella, a conscious frown wobbling over my features. "Wait a minute now 'cause that was real rude of meh."

Hank sighs and shines a little torch in my eyes. "I take it you're feeling better?" he asks kindly, making me feel kinda bad for my runaway mouth.

"Yeah, Ah'm okay," I answer weakly, my glance bouncing off every piece of furniture and the four walls as I search for a certain somebody. "Ah'm good, Ah guess. Is Scott okay?" I add, spitting my words out 'cause I'm worried for the wiener-brained idiot.

He nods and tucks the torch into his crisp doctor's coat. "Scott is as well as can be expected," he replies, shaking his head. "We've had trouble keeping him asleep, but the Professor is sitting with him now."

I can feel my heart sinking because there's nobody sitting here with me. Where the heck has Logan run off to, huh? He saved me from that burning wreck of a car, he hugged me, he was being my daddy, and now I need him again and he ain't here to hug. "That's real great an' everythin'," I mutter, sitting up. "Ah'm glad he's okay." And that's mostly because it was my fault the accident happened in the first place.

"You need to rest until you're feeling better," he warns me, waggling his bulky finger. "That was a serious accident you were in, and you're in pain because your body is telling you to stay in bed and sleep."

"Ah'm in pain 'cause the car Ah was in rolled like a dice," I snort roughly, blowing the hair out of my face. "That an' Ah swallowed more smoke than a pot-happy hippy."

"At least your humour is intact," the ape-like fella says, sitting down in the seat beside the bed. He opens a heavy looking book and starts to read with his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. "The same can't be said for Logan sadly."

That don't sound good none and I punch at the pillow. I could be trying to plump it and fluff it, or I dunno, maybe I hate every pillow in the world and I'm beating on it loads. Anyway, what's the Furbie going on about? My daddy has a real good sense of humour. He had to have one 'cause he was married to my mama. "What's wrong with mah daddy? Ya said there was somethin' wrong with mah daddy."

"He did something that shocked us," the man explains steadily, glancing at me with concern. "But we believe it was due to worry and the stress of what happened to you. I have no doubt he will return soon, so get some sleep, Rogue."

"Yeah, sleep sounds okay," I mutter, giving the pillow one last blow to its feather-packed ribs. "Ah guess Ah could sleep. Ya gonna give meh somethin' tah help meh though?"

"No," he replies, smiling slightly. "I think you've had enough medical 'help' today. Close your eyes and you'll be asleep in no time at all."

I snort and settle down in the bed. "The sheets are kinda scratchy," I tell him, just 'cause I want something to grumble about. "An' they smell real funky, too."

"Well, when I was younger, your age in fact, the word 'funky' meant striking or stylish. When I was sixteen I was dazzled by the discos of the day and I asked a girl named Julia if she would join me for a dance," Hank rattles on, causing me to frown and rest my head on the pillow. "She called my clothes 'funky'. I was wearing a striped shirt with all the colours of the rainbow. I'm afraid under today's standards I would have been looked down upon." He smiles when I start to snore, pretending I'm asleep. "Goodnight, Rogue."

"Night," I snort, pulling the sheet over my head to hide from his words.

* * *

Logan had reverted to his grizzled ways and had honed in on an old friend he'd booted out of his life many years ago. His buddy was named whisky and he came in the form of a bottle built to numb the anger and frustration that was simmering under the surface of a snarling feral. The Canadian had hit a local bar, swung his fist in a few rounds in the cage, and after kicking ass, he was now spending his winnings on liquor, booze and the odd packet of stale peanuts.

The same worn-out lines had been choking on his cigar smoke for the last couple of hours and he was fit to be tied. No amount of fighting in the cage or sucking down bottles of whisky could stop him from thinking about Anna-Marie and the trouble she'd caused. His little girl had torn apart every rule he'd ever drilled into her pretty, little head, and he was going to tan her hide until he was damned sure she'd never pull a stupid stunt again.

'_Damn it_,' he thought with a snarl, pouring himself another shot with a calloused and unsteady hand. '_Things are too heated in your head right now, bub. You'll go too far if you punish her tonight_. _But what the hell was Anna-Marie thinking? Hell, she's just like her mother! Yeah, that makes sense because Ray was a thieving, blue wrecking ball, and I'm better off out of her life. Don't stop me missing her, though._'

Logan fumbled around inside his jacket pocket for his lighter and fished it out, lighting his cigar. '_Where did I go wrong? I clothed the kid, I kept her safe, and I made sure there was always food on the table when she was growing up. How does she repay me? She turns up on the doorstep with an attitude that stinks and an ass that needs a good beating. I guess Raven didn't do her fucking job properly when I left. Then again, the woman never liked hard work when I met her. She was all champagne and diamonds, whereas me, I'm flat beer and goddamned peanuts.'_

He snorted and tossed a shot of whisky down his gravelly throat. _'That's why the marriage didn't work, asshole. We were chalk and cheese, North Korea vs. the rest of the fucking world; you didn't fit in with her pampered ways and she was more interested in dictating like she owned the dirt under your boots. Though, I still miss her. We had our good moments too. There was that time when Anna was young and she pushed Ray into the pool when we were touring that ritzy school. The kid wouldn't have fit in there anyway; she's too much like her mother. She tries to behave but she still needs her ass tanned every now and then.'_

The feral's brow furrowed when he eyed his empty bottle of whisky. "Hell," he grumbled, scratching his jaw and wondering where his liquor had run to.

"You drank it," the greasy-haired barkeep told him, his rat-like eyes looking the man up and down. "I'm surprised you're still standing."

"I'm not standing," Logan answered gruffly, inhaling a deep hit from his Cuban cigar. "My backside's parked on this stool for a reason and it's not because I'm a fan of the company you keep." He dropped a crumpled twenty bill on the bruised and beaten bar and plucked the cigar from his lips. "Give me the strongest stuff you keep behind the bar."

"Sure you can handle it?" he said, snatching the bank note into his sweaty hand when he caught sight of the look the guy was giving him.

"Yes," Wolverine snarled, dragging an ashtray closer to him and flicking a mountain of ash into it with a scowl. "Give me what I want and you won't get any trouble coming your way, bub."

A glossy, black, leather purse was set down on the barstool beside the cantankerous Canadian. "Hmm, well you heard the immature man," a blonde-haired woman said in a clipped tone to the bartender. "He's threatening to throw a fit if he doesn't get his own way." She crossed her arms and her blue eyes flashed golden for a second or two. "Hello James, how are you?"

Logan's nostrils flared and he breathed in the scent of naughtiness, champagne and expensive perfume. "Hey Ray," he grunted drunkenly and fell off the barstool, landing on his back with a _thump. _

Raven sighed loudly and crushed his lit cigar under one of her designer stilettos. "You're drunk," she said, gazing down at him with a hand on her hip. "James Howlett, I'm talking to you." Her cherry red lips pursed as her ex-husband began to snore like a warthog on steroids, and she wasn't impressed. "Oh yes, revert back to your old ways and ignore me. But if you think I'm going anywhere, you're sadly mistaken. When you wake up we're going to be having a long talk, do you hear me?"

"I don't think he can hear you," the barman told the irritable woman and received a withering glare for his troubles.

"Don't give the stupid man another drop of alcohol, and tell him I'll be at the mansion when he can be bothered to show his face," she replied, picking up her purse. "And when he wakes up, remind him he still looks as handsome as he did the first day we met."

The weasel faced barman watched the beautiful blonde's hips swinging as she left the building behind. "Whoa," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "She's gorgeous but I'm not telling the Wolverine he's hot property." He returned to his beer serving duties with a grin on his face.


	21. Raven

**I'm sorry. I think I died a little, or at least my brain did. Lately, I've been struggling to engage with life in general and it's been a struggle to write, but today, I'm proud to say I wrote this. It might be short and I'm still struggling to rediscover the characters again, but I'm working on it. I'm always working on it. I have to admit I haven't been paying any attention to the email my fanfic account is attached to, so I've been in the dark, really. But I was surprised to see people had sent me PMs asking me to update this story and another one I'm working on! Since reading the messages, I've been trying even harder to update my stories because I love writing, even if I keep forgetting that.**

**I'm also happy to admit I've been RPing constantly this year with a particular person. The trick, I've found, is to just RP and not engage in any real-life conversation. I wonder why I didn't think of that earlier. Ha ha! It's brilliant that way because I don't get to make jokes that are taken the wrong way, or, you know, end up knee-deep in arguments about gun control or religion.**

**;-) Yes! I've learnt so much this year! And guess what? The RPs, that have been running since January, have thrown up so many more ideas I can use to write stories, especially with Victor. I love Victor.**

**So, yes, thanks to everybody who reviewed and I'm sorry I left you waiting **_**this**_** long! And I really hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and a fun-packed New Year.**

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**Raven**

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Raven Howlett gazed at her slender, blue figure in the sweeping mirror. The dainty glass was spread from floor to ceiling, its eighteen-twenties heart applauding her smouldering beauty. "Yes, he'll be putty in my hands," she declared, turning sharply on her heels and approaching the inviting closet close to the en-suite. "He looked good enough to ride last night. Well, if he'd not been drowning in stubble and beer. I won't have stubble rash and beer breath near me, after all, this is expensive perfume I'm wearing." But then her thoughts began to wander to the subject of their precious daughter and her emotions cantered away from her.

She picked a white dress from the closet and brushed the lone wrinkle from the fabric, unimpressed it had taken Charles this long to invite her to stay. He would, of course, wait until James had almost killed Anna, and then eventually send a rather hideous-looking plane to pick her up. The stupid, shiny-headed man was always on James' side. She scoffed bitterly at that. "Oh yes, I was always in the wrong, and when I trust them with my daughter's care, they try to murder her in a ball of fire."

A voice sounded as though it was frowning in her mind. _"Raven," _it said, tutting in disagreement. "_I can assure you not one of my students, friends or colleagues tried to murder Rogue." _

Raven's eyes narrowed as she laid her dress out on the bed. "Charles," she said, aloud. "My Anna almost died in your and her baboon father's care. So, don't you dare argue with me because you won't like my response! And I always thought you were such a gentleman, but at the moment, you're speaking to a naked, yet beautiful woman, alone in her bedroom."

An embarrassed Charles began to fade from her mind. _"We can continue this discussion later." _

"Hmm," she said, smirking as she picked out some beautifully crimson-coloured panties and bra. "Men are strange creatures. Some blush if you mention that you're naked, even though you've known them fifty years. Then there are the others who will attempt to cock their legs at you when they notice you're female because your chest wobbles as your walk. James was the latter. He loved my chest. He really did love it."

She sighed as he attempted to pull herself together. Her memories, her thoughts and her feelings needed to be put into a diamond encrusted box and hidden away from her because she was here for her daughter. She had been terrified when she had heard about the accident, but her fear had been replaced by absolute relief, and then anger so deep she had needed to replace many of the vases she'd once owned. She knew who to blame as she began to dress and she would destroy them within an inch of their lives. Nobody hurt her daughter and escaped her special wrath of revenge!

* * *

There's some hand stroking my real messy hair and nobody does that 'cept one folk I know. I'm real related to that folk too and this ain't good or nothing because I don't know if she got that letter yet. "Christ in a Christmas tree that ain't a real Christmas tree 'cause it ain't Christmas yet," I mutter, one eye opening and dragging in the sight of my mama looking caught between being real stern and constipated or something. Nah, I'm betting she never gets clogged up because I'm the one who's always full of shit in our family.

"Anna-Marie!" she sighs, tucking my hair behind my ears and looking concerned. "I'm so –"

"Ah know, Mama," I tell her, reading the look of relief rolling around in her blue eyes. "But Ah was only sleepin', y'know. Ah ain't hurt or nothin', Ah'm just sleepin' here 'cause Hank said Ah had tah."

She makes a proud noise with a click of her tongue. "At least you're listening to his advice," she says, helping me sit up like I'm some kind of cripple or something. "Let me look at you. Oh, sweetheart! Have you any idea how worried I was? I was having a late dinner with Malcolm, my new accountant and a most charming man, and then Charles was talking to me inside my head. The waiter thought I was having a schizophrenic episode because I was shouting when I heard you'd been in an accident, Malcolm was left behind at the restaurant and I went home to pack my suitcase. Ororo picked me up in the jet, the noise of the engines scared our neighbours half to death, but do you know what?"

I shake my head, my thoughts dying a whole heap of death in my head. I never knew my mama could talk that much but I'm guessing I scared her till she had to run away from her accountant.

"I'm so glad you're safe," she replies, kissing me on the cheek and hugging me tightly. "I'm more than glad, Anna. I thought you would be safe with your father, I thought if you spent time together it would help you both, but I was wrong. I'm sorry I sent you here, and you're coming home with me tonight."

"Huh?" I pull away from her and my jaw drops for a long second or two. "Ya want meh back 'cause some car exploded an' Ah nearly died?"

"Yes," my mama answers, like it's obvious. "But that's not the only reason, of course. You're my daughter, I've missed you, I'm sure you've missed me, and your father's an immature mess who's obviously unable to look after you without falling apart and almost getting you killed."

I blink at her and shake my head again. "It weren't his fault none," I mutter, feeling my heart sink like Pavarotti sitting on an inflatable boat. Yeah, I know who he is. I had to learn about him at school and everything. He was born in some country in the world somewhere and he died 'cause folks die and don't live forever. "Ya can't blame him, mama, he didn't know what was gonna happen an' it was mah fault Ah had tah leave the mansion in the first place."

"Anna-Marie, I've made up my mind," she says, patting my shoulder. "Now, Hank said you can return to your bedroom this morning. You need to pack your bag because I want to leave as soon as possible." She gazes at me sternly. "Don't argue with me, sweetheart, we're going home to Mississippi and that's all there is to it."

"Yeah, that's real great an' everythin'!" I snap, jumping out the bed and heading for the door. "Ya come here, ya don't listen or nothin' an' ya can go tah hell 'cause Ah ain't leavin'!"

Raven watched Anna flee. She was being firm and taking her only daughter home because she wanted her to be safe. There was a beautiful and thoroughly expensive school she would be able to attend and there would be no distractions in her life in the form of her father. Yes, James Howlett would need to keep his distance if their daughter was going to be a success in her life.

* * *

The Wolverine had woken with a sore head and the taste of beer and peanuts invading his body. He'd had to force his way out into the open because the asshole who ran the bar had locked the damn doors when he'd gone to bed. He was fucking sure it was the first time anybody had kicked the door down to _get out _a bar, but his head was running with his thoughts and a certain scent that led him straight to the parking lot. "Raven," he growled to himself and looked around, spotting his jeep waiting for him. That was where he'd left it and he was sure he needed to be thankful nobody had taken it while he'd been sleeping on the stained and sticky floor of Harry's Hideout.

He was starting to feel like shit for leaving his Anna's side last night. What kind of dad was he to leave his kid alone after she'd been in a car wreck? Maybe Ray wasn't even here, maybe his senses were playing tricks on him, and maybe he needed to haul his ass back to the mansion on the double. She smelt real to him though, like he could reach out and touch her, but her scent was fading fast. It was old, from last night, and his brow furrowed. No, she'd been here. His ex-wife had been here and seen his ass drunk. She'd seen him pass out on the floor while their kid was in the medlab and he found the rumble of shame mixing with the oncoming storm overhead.

As it had started to rain, he'd leapt into his jeep and rushed back to the mansion on the stench of rubber and a sea of burning hate. He missed Ray, he loved Anna and he wasn't going to lose them from this life again. He knew how his ex-wife's head worked and she'd be throwing around her weight already, demanding Charles bend over backwards so she'd get what she wanted. But there was also the trouble Anna had caused that he needed to deal with.

It took him less time then he'd expected to slam his breaks on and skid to a stop outside the mansion. He leapt out his jeep and darted out into the rain. The storm had broken now and the rain was hitting the ground like bullets ricocheting off the earth. As he opened the door of the mansion, pulling off his soaked-through jacket, he was greeted with a sight that tightened his heart in a vice.

His kid, his Anna, she was standing there and staring at him, the tears dropping off her cheeks as she fell headfirst into a pool of depression. "C'mere, Darlin'," he said, tossing his jacket on to a hall chair and approaching her. "You look like you could do with a hug."

"Leave meh alone!" she snapped, thundering up the stairs and leaving him standing there with a look of hurt. He couldn't blame her for acting that way and he listened to the sound of her door slamming shut.

Logan heaved a sigh and rolled his shoulders as he readied himself for another battle. "She always took after you, Ray," he said, turning his back on the stairs and looking down the hall at the blonde figure with her hand on her hip. "Like fire and ice, hard to juggle and control without getting burnt by her words or frozen out her world."

"You forgot beautiful," Raven pointed out, sauntering closer to him with a sharp frown. "Also, you only have yourself to blame, James. It's not often I was ashamed of your behaviour but last night will remain with me for an awfully long time. Oh, and not forgetting your inability to care for _my _daughter."

"_Our _daughter," he grunted back, eyeing her. "I never said I had nothing to blame myself for, but don't forget you sent her to me. I'm trying to get through to her though and it'll take some time."

"Which you don't have," the stunning woman replied, no hint of happiness on her face. She walked by him and began to walk up the long staircase, making him feel uneasy.

"What do you mean?" Logan growled after her, his hand resting on the handrail, half tempted to follow the woman and go check on his angry daughter. "Ray, what are you hiding? You know I don't like people keeping things from me."

"And you know how _I _feel about _you _failing as a father, James," Raven replied, gazing down at him from the top of the stairs. "I gave you a chance, one chance, and you failed. She could have died!"

"I wasn't driving that damn car," he answered her, slamming his fist down on the banister and hearing the dark wood crack under the pressure.

"You didn't stop her from leaving, you didn't stop the car from crashing and you didn't stop her from causing yet more trouble," she said indignantly, her hands still resting on her hips.

Logan's jaw twitched as he grit his teeth. He knew where this conversation was heading and he didn't like it. "You're not pushing me out her life again, Raven. Blame me all you want for the accident but we should be grateful she's not nursing broken bones or laying in a morgue."

Raven's icy stare locked with his own glare. "I'm taking her home tonight," she stated.

He growled darkly. "Over my dead body, Mystique," he answered, never looking away from her.

"Rather yours then _my_ daughter's, Wolverine," she responded, turning on her heels and marching out of sight.

He was left alone, listening to the storm rumbling and whipping rain and hail around in the wind outside. His hangover had lifted but his mood had slumped to his boots. He was on the verge of losing everything he cared about and that thought drew a deadly snarl from his lips. That wasn't going to happen, not while he was still breathing. He started to climb the stairs, his brow creasing heavily with the determination he was being crushed by. He'd make it up to his Anna because he had acted like an ass, but she wasn't leaving and Ray wasn't going to take her anywhere. Not only was there one hell of a punishment coming his kid's way, he needed to let his ex-wife know she wasn't about to walk all over him without his hands having something to say about it.


	22. Revealing

**Thanks for reviewing the last chapter. I hope you enjoy the latest one. PS. We're nearing the end of the story now.**

* * *

**Revealing**

* * *

I drop down on my scruffy bed, then stand up and shuffle round the room I've called my own for a real long couple of days. "What do Ah do? What can Ah do? What the hell can Ah, will Ah, could Ah do?!" Great, yeah, I'm talking to myself now. You see what my Mama turning up does to me? I'm losing my goddamn mind or something!

What _should_ I do first, huh? Shit, I can't write a list or nothing 'cause my head don't work that way. Writing lists and stuff is something that Jean girl would do, anyway. See what I'm turning into? I can't even insult her or nothing because I'm catching on to loads of worry and hauling it round with me. At least I've stopped crying loads now! Seeing my Daddy earlier, it kinda killed what's left of everything and anything I've ever had rolling around in my head. I don't wanna leave none. I don't wanna leave him here alone 'cause I nearly like him now. He's my daddy and I wanna stay here with him 'cause Ah do. But then there's my Mama and she's real stubborn, and, yeah, I love her, too.

"Why do Ah have tah be thirteen, huh?" I yell at the ugly wallpaper, the bed and the rest of the furniture 'cause I can and I'm real unhappy. "There ain't nothin' Ah can do, is there?" My socked feet stop, I scowl, and my thoughts go running like some fat family hearing about some new McDonald's restaurant opening up across the street. "Wait a damn minute, that's it! The fat family are gonna be runnin' tah the burgers ain't they? They go runnin' through the traffic an' they know it's full of danger an' trucks but they do it anyway 'cause they want tah reach the hamburgers an' chicken nuggets. The grease is somethin' like happiness tah 'em 'cause they're fat an' they love food."

I swing around, kicking my duffle bag out the way because I'm not leaving or nothing. "The road's mah Mama, the trucks are mah Daddy an' the food is mah family. If Ah get the road an' truck talkin' instead of fightin' everything's gonna get loads better!" That's it 'cause I'm real smart and I always have been. My teachers don't know nothing 'cause I'm the smartest folk that ever lived. Maybe my Mama and Daddy are gonna get together again? Yeah, I think I'd love that and it'd be even better than a bunch of chicken nuggets and some cheeseburgers.

Though, if I go through with this and knock the road and truck together with my words, it ain't gonna end real well for my ass. Yeah, now that has me scowling even more. I can't do this none, can I? There I go pacing again 'cause I'm searching through my options and booting them all away from me. There ain't no choice I can make except admitting everything I've gone and done. If I ain't selfish or nothing, maybe my Mama will change her mind and let me stay with my Daddy.

"Rogue, don't be no coward or nothin'," I grumble loudly, heading out my room on the quickest feet I've ever had. I've never been scared of telling folks about the stuff I've done and I ain't about to change now. But the closer I get to the room my Mama is staying in; I start to feel like a real giant chicken. I can hear them shouting at each other and they ain't talking politely neither. My Daddy's kinda trying to calm things down by not shouting none. I'm thinking it's just my Mama who's trying to tear his world down with her words. Damn it, now I'm feeling bad for him.

There I go creeping, though. My feet drag along a long line of carpet that I'm favouring as my only friend at the moment. Cody ain't here, I hate everybody under this roof who ain't related to me, and I've always been a fan of folks I can walk all over. And there goes my Mama hollering again like a carrier pigeon flying overhead with a yelling, screaming, cussing banshee in its fat beak. I'm thinking my Mama would rather die than be fat or something, but I'm starting to think she ain't the pigeon, but the banshee. I mean, she's going crazy in there and my Daddy's scolding her for throwing shit at his head.

I stop walking and press my ear against the door. Hell, is that the sound of something being whacked? My Mama hisses about my Daddy coming to senses or something like that and when I try to catch the rest of the talking, the door is yanked open and I'm crushed with surprise. My feet don't hold me up real well after what I've been leaning on is taken away. I throw my arms out at my sides but I can't grab a balance and my Daddy catches me against his chest. "Thank ya," I mutter to his shirt.

"You're welcome," he grunts, lifting me up and hauling me in the room. He plants me back on my feet and shuts the door with a low growl. "But why were you eavesdropping, Anna-Marie? You're in enough trouble without adding to it."

I swallow the lump in my throat and my eyes are on some creeping mission now. They land on my Mama and I point at her. "Hey!" I say, catching sight of her rubbing her ass. "Ya got a spankin'. Daddy was spankin' ya!"

My Mama turns the shade of ketchup. "Anna, talk to your Father," she says, ignoring what I've pointed out like she's real embarrassed or something.

Logan turns me around 'cause for some reason I have to face him now. "What happened between your Mother and me just now is finished with," he says firmly, his eyes softening when he gives her a long look. "It stays between these walls and this family because if I found out you've been spreading gossip about your Mother, you'll be howling over my knee every night for a week."

"Bedtime spankings?" I whisper, that lump returning to my throat. I swallow it again and look my Daddy in the eyes.

"Bedtime spankings," he answers with a curt nod. "So no gossiping, Darlin'." His face deepens with a sudden scowl. "Now, we've got a lot to talk about. Starting with why you're up on your feet when you should be resting."

My brow crumples because I'm trying to collect loads of wrinkles like my Mama. "Daddy, Ah'm fine. Ah can walk an' everythin' an' Ah still ain't dead an' heck, Ah walked here, Ah didn't get Scott tah drive meh tah this room in no car or nothin'. Ah wouldn't have tah do that 'cause Ah can walk an' Ah ain't go any broken bones or nothin' else like that." I suddenly grin. "Were ya really spankin' Mama for throwin' stuff at ya head?"

He growls, holding up his fist. "One," he says gruffly, pointing a finger to the sky. "I don't want to hear any jokes about the car wreck you and Summers were in." Another finger jumps up and stands by the other. "Two, you're not 'fine', you shouldn't be walking around and you're going back to bed." He stares down at me when he lifts another finger. "And three, what happened between me and your Mother is still none of your business, Anna-Marie. Now, I'm taking you back to your room and tucking you in bed. C'mon, you need your rest because we're going to be having a _long_ talk later."

I was gonna tell my Daddy the last bit of his finger-pointing speech should've started with a four. You know, like, 'Four, growl, grrr, snarl, sniff, roar, go back to bed!' and then something along the funny-assed lines of, 'Five, talk, spank, yeah, growl, grr, roar, I tanned your Mama's hide, yeah!' But then those words kinda die in my throat because I know it's time to jump the road, head for the food, but get hit by the truck, and I mean _hit. _

"Ah ain't been given the chance tah talk yet," I mutter, parking my ass down on the foot of my Mama's temporary bed. "Ah wanna talk an' Ah'm gonna talk an' ya'll need to listen tah meh talkin' till Ah stop talkin' an' ya don't hear meh talkin' no more." I hang my head and feel like some folk's gonna tie a rope round my neck when I start confessing and don't stop none. "Ah stole the beer from the fridge an' stuffed it in Summers' bag 'cause Ah didn't want tah be caught none. Ah let him get in loads of trouble 'cause Ah didn't wanna get spanked or nothin'."

My Mama and Daddy look at each other. She goes to say something, but my Daddy shakes his head to stop her from talking over my talking.

Yeah, I'm gonna keep going. Wish me loads of luck. "Ah insulted that Sabretooth guy loads when he caught meh in the woods an' Ah didn't defend Mama none when he called her a whore. An' Ah wrote a let tah ya, Mama, callin' ya a whore, an' when Daddy said he'd post it for meh Ah didn't stop him. Ah only started feelin' real bad when he told meh he'd added somethin' to the end of it an' wanted ya back in his life."

She crosses her arms, unsure how to answer everything I've said already. But she glances at my Daddy for a real long second. "I didn't know about the letter," she admits, looking at us both. "But when it arrives I'm going to tear it up. No offense, Anna-Marie, I always loved reading those letters you used to post under the door of my bedroom when you were small. I just don't feel the need to read your latest one. Though, I'd be happy to hear the exact words your Father wrote."

My Daddy scratches his jaw. "There's a time and place, and this isn't it, Ray," he tells her, his words sounding like he's relieved everything's coming out in the open now I don't wanna lie no more. He watches me with a steady look and clears his throat. "Is there anything else you've done that you want to get off your chest, Stripes?"

That new nickname tickles me, but I scowl at my feet and work up the courage like I'm gonna spew. "Yeah," I answer, my voice dropping to a near whisper. "Ah caused the wreck with the car. It weren't Scott's fault 'cause it was all mine. Ah'm tah blame for everythin' that happened when the car rolled like one of those dice."

"I don't understand," my Mama says, confused. "That boy was driving and he lost control of the car. It wasn't your fault, Anna, and I made that clear to Charles. I told him Scott Summers was an idiot whose moronic tendencies to show off in front of other drivers and speed when -"

"Raven," my Daddy grunts, interrupting her. "Hear her out. Let her finish talking before you decide you're going to have another pop at Chuck."

While Mama's glaring at him, I start talking again, the dread building in me 'cause I think my Daddy already knows. He's being real calm but that look in his eye is telling me he knows and I should've come cleaner sooner. "Ah wanted tah go tah the post office an' try an' get the letter back before it went on its way tah Mama. Ah was tryin' tah help 'cause Ah'd made everythin' worse an' when Daddy wrote somethin' real nice to ya, Mama, he didn't read what Ah'd put 'cause he was doin' that thing called 'respectin' mah privacy' an' Ah'm real happy he did that an' Ah think he should do it all the time an' everythin'."

He clears his throat. "You're losing your way, Darlin'. Stick to the facts."

"Yeah, the facts," I huff, hating the next part of the tale I'm gonna be telling. "Ah got Scott tah take meh to the post office 'cause Ah let him know Ah was the beer thief an' he could tell mah Daddy if he wanted to. He was probably gonna do that, but Ah didn't care none. Ah only wanted the letter back. When he was drivin' Ah was gettin' real angry with him an' he was tryin' real hard to calm meh down. But, Ah dunno, somethin' kinda snapped in mah head an' Ah did it."

"What did you do, Sweetheart?" my Mama asked, worried.

My Daddy only stares, knowing what I did.

I take some deeper than deep breath and let my last secret go. "Ah grabbed the steerin' wheel when Scott was drivin'. He wouldn't stop the car or let meh out none an' Ah didn't like him not listenin' tah meh. It was mah fault the car crashed an' rolled like a real drunk dice."

Their faces ain't a good picture right now. Mama's shocked, she gasps, then she puts her head in her hands, and finally, she starts pacing and shaking her head. "No, you wouldn't do that, Anna," she sighs, her mind made up. "You're protecting that boy. Why are you protecting him? Do you have a crush on him? Oh God, don't tell me you have a crush on somebody who almost killed you?"

Now I'm the one who's blushing real bad. "Ah ain't got a crush on him," I mutter, not sure if I'm lying or not.

"James, you're not saying anything, why aren't you saying anything?" my Mama hisses, frowning at him. "James! She's sitting there lying to protect a boy she thinks she's in love with. Do something!"

My Daddy's scaring the hell out of me right now. He's wearing a mighty scowl on his face and he hasn't looked away from me since I told them about my last screw-up on the road. He doesn't answer my Mama, he doesn't say nothing, he only starts growling. It's getting louder and louder and louder, and my Mama's face turns to me, looking devastated.

"You were telling the truth," she says faintly, tears in her eyes. "Oh, Anna-Marie, you were telling the truth."


	23. Referee

**Thank you to the guys who reviewed. I'm now aiming to hit the big 300! Please, can you help me? I'm about fifteen reviews away from doing that. Also, I need people to help with the new community I launched. Staff are needed, stories, too. What do you want me to add? Details are on my profile page.**

**PS. By 'reviews', I didn't want to receive one like what a guest just left. :/ I thought I'd already argued my way out of crap like that. I'm _really_ not in the mood for that type of rubbish tonight. **

* * *

**Referee**

* * *

A heavy-hearted Raven approached her ex-husband, ready to shake him by the scruff of the neck if he didn't stop growling. "James," she said, taking his large, calloused hand in her rather daintier, smoother and well moisturised palm. "If you're so angry you can't form words, perhaps you should leave for a while? Take a walk, smoke a cigar, and drink that awful beer you like. Please, just do something to calm down. You're scaring _our _daughter."

The latter part of her sentence shook him from his growls and he squeezed her hand gently, drawing a slight smile from Raven. "We need to discuss this as a family," she stated calmly, still holding his hand as she gazed from her ex-husband to her silent, wide-eyed daughter. "Anna, Sweetheart, we're disappointed in your behaviour."

"Disappointed?" Logan growled darkly. "Hell, Ray, I'm not disappointed." Her daughter only stared, a flicker of hope in her eyes that faded instantly when James spoke again. "I'm riled, I'm angry, I'm pissed, and I'm standing here waiting for a goddamn explanation before I take off my belt and whip our kid till she's bawling."

Raven, acting as the referee, moved in front of Logan and placed her hand against his chest. She could feel another furious growl reverberating inside him and she was certain she couldn't hold him back if he went to punish their daughter. "You're too heated right now to deal with her."

"That's not the only thing that's going to be heated when I'm done here," he snarled, reaching down and unbuckling his belt. "She's getting whipped and when I'm done with her she'll think twice about putting her life in danger, disobeying me and not respecting you."

"We're all going to talk first," Raven replied, her view on the matter firm and unwavering. She let go of his hand and watched him slide his leather belt off. "James, please, for your family. Let's sit down and talk. You were always telling me to discuss things before I decided to throw something at your head. Now, why can't you do the same for me?"

Okay, okay. My Daddy's gonna kill me. I get that real good now. I've been sitting here on this bed since I told 'em about all that dumb stuff I did and I kinda feel like I'm about to say a real short goodbye to my ass. That belt don't look like a real good friend of mine and I don't wanna get a whipping, but I can't fight him none if he tries. I can run, though. Yeah, I could run! Nah, I can't run. What planet am I on, huh? I can't run nowhere 'cause I ain't a coward and I wanna keep my family together loads. And my Mama's trying real hard to help me here and talk my Daddy down from killing me or something. That means I can't leave her neither.

I huff loudly, puffing out my pale cheeks as I get to thinking. There's gotta be some real great way outta all this without losing my ass to the leather. _C'mon, Rogue, ya have tah think real good! _I yell in my ole rundown head. That belt has a way of dragging my thoughts kicking and screaming towards it and there ain't nothing left I can work with.

My Daddy looks away from my Mama a minute and scowls at me. "Are we boring you, Anna-Marie?" he asks with a dark growl.

There goes my head shaking 'cause I don't know what else to do. "No," I mutter, my dry mouth running before I can knock it down with a whack to the head. "If Ah was real bored Ah'd be yawnin' 'cause that's what bored folks do. Ya know, kinda like this an' everythin'." I show him how to yawn real good, patting my open mouth with my hand and acting like that funny way everybody says Red Indians acted when they were out on the land. Although, my Daddy don't take too kindly to it and he's coming for me as my Mama gets in between us again.

"James, stop this!" she hisses, her body changing into some different form or something.

"What the fuck?" I whisper, scooting off the bed and backing away. My feet shuffle to one side and I nearly trip over my own toes while I freak out over everything. It was like some blue wave had crashed against her head and set off a chain reaction. It kinda hit her skin running and it changed real quick, similar to fish scales flipping colour changes on a high as hell fish. Nah, that ain't right. The fisherman would be the high one if he caught a blue fish.

My Mama's still there, all blue skin and slicked-back red hair. Even her eyes are real strange 'cause they're the colour of egg yolks. Daddy ain't even looking my way now, his glare starts to soften again and he lifts the hand that's free of leather and strokes her cheek. Yeah, here I go feeling like I'm in the way of something that's bigger than me and my car-rolling skills.

"Listen to me," Mama murmurs, gazing up at him. "I don't want to keep secrets from our daughter any longer and we all need to sit down and talk like a proper family. I'm sick of this drama, James. I'm sick of it!"

He heaves a heavy, grumbling sigh and his eyes dart towards me. Not his actual eyes or nothing, just his half-scowl. "Sit. Down. Now."

I back up again and sink onto the chair behind me. I'm sitting on one of those real ugly pieces of furniture I ain't got round to chucking out the window or using as firewood yet. But heck, I can't be thinking that way right now 'cause my Mama's blue, damn it. "Ya blue," I mumble, slouching in my seat until I'm almost on the floor in a whole heap of skin and real shock. "Blue like that dog toy Cody's mama got their cat for Christmas."

She blinks at me and my Daddy wraps his arm around her waist, looking real protective or something. "I can't say that's the best comparison I've ever heard, but thank you anyway, Sweetheart." She points to herself. "This is what I've been hiding from you since you were born."

My eyes are kinda confused as I see where she's pointing. "Mama, ya pointin' at ya tits. They blue too or somethin'?"

"Anna-Marie!" my Daddy barks, tightening his grip on the belt and giving my Mama's waist a reassuring squeeze. "Let your mother talk and keep your mouth in check. I'm not going to tell you again. You're walking on thin ice here so you best tread carefully."

I wanna tell him I can't tread nowhere 'cause I'm sitting and staring and not moving none, but I catch sight of that belt that his hand's best friends with. I wave my hand, feeling like some queen telling the folks in front of me to chat on and let me in on why they've been keeping loads of secrets.

My Mama still stands there and I know she's trying to choose her words carefully. "I heard from your Father you met Victor," she murmurs, gazing at me.

"Ah ain't met anybody called Victor," I tell her, my nose wrinkling.

"You met him in the woods," my Daddy growls darkly, gritting his teeth. "He goes by the name of Sabretooth most of the time."

She pats Logan on the arm and nods. "Yes, he's known as Sabretooth now." She sighs, and I've got a real good feeling there's more coming. "When I first knew him, he wasn't an animal, Sweetheart. He lost his mind to his feral side, though. I met your father again around that time and we both tried to help him. You see, Victor's his brother and the father of my eldest child."

My jaw's gone. Where's it gone? It's nearly on the floor but it ain't there yet 'cause I'm trying to keep it with me. "He's mah uncle an' Kurt's daddy?!"

My Mama shakes her blue head. "No, he's not Kurt's father, Anna. You have another brother, but it's complicated and we no longer see him. I was a different person when he was born and Victor was beginning to lose his grip on reality and his own mind. So, I gave the baby away and then that's when your father came to help me try and talk some sense into Victor."

"Talk sense?" my Daddy snorts, growling again. "There's no such thing when it comes to him. The man he was is _dead_, Ray. He's gone. There's nothing but a Sabretooth shaped hole left and when I get my claws into him, _you'll_ be left with nothing but memories."

I'm not listening to no more. That crazy bush lover is my uncle, I've got another sibling out there dancing with life and I ain't even met him, my Daddy wants to kill his own kin, and my Mama's blue! I run like a racehorse who ain't a fan of apples or hay. I wouldn't mind being fed a diet of southern fried chicken and ice cream, but that ain't about to happen 'cause I'm not about to stop and talk to my Mama and Daddy.

My feet thump against the busy carpet in the hall and my heart thunders in my chest, my thoughts here, there and everywhere. I've got a brother, my uncle lives in bushes and hates us, my Mama's blue. Blue! And my Daddy wants to go to jail for the rest of his days after he kills his very own brother. Damn it; fuck it, why the hell am I crying, huh?

"Stop cryin', quit cryin', ya baby!" I snap, throwing my bedroom door open and jumping inside. My feet don't know where to go first, but I stop and blink. "The closet, Ah'm gonna hide in the closet 'cause Ah am!"

* * *

Logan sighed as he stalked down the hallway, the belt doubled in his calloused palm. He'd told Ray he would sort this out and that was what he was planning on doing. But first he had to talk their little girl down from her tantrum. He could understand why she'd be unhappy with what she'd found out, he really did, though that didn't mean she could break her Mother's heart. Raven was hurting right now and he'd promised to deal with everything the only way he knew how.

He knocked on Anna's door, opening it and stepping inside with a sigh. "Darlin', we need to talk," he grunted, raising an eyebrow and looking at the closet. "You want to come out of there and listen to what I have to say?" He didn't receive an answer and he walked towards the closet door, pausing to drop the belt on the bed as he went. "This talk we need to have, it's important to your mother and me, you hear?" His knuckles rapped on the flimsy closet and he heaved an even heavier sigh as he settled down on the carpet, deciding he'd lean against the wall and talk to the girl this way.

Logan worked out what to say before he spoke, not wanting to make things worse or let Raven down again. "We kept everything from you for a real good reason," he said gruffly, scratching at his scruffy jaw. "The boy your mother had with Sabretooth is an even bigger pain in the ass then you are, Darlin'. You see, he grew up hating his parents and when the time came when your mother wanted to get in contact again, it was too late. The hate had spread inside him and he'd turned on every mutant out there. Right now, while we're talking, his group of mutant haters are planning attacks on people like me, the Professor and Storm."

"Mama too?" the sullen voice from inside the dark closet asked, sounding miserable.

The Canadian nodded curtly. "Yeah, her too, Darlin'. She's in danger while he's out there, but he's being watched by some old friends of mine, so you don't need to worry about that." He nudged his foot against the door, hoping she'd open it and talk to him face-to-face now. "There have been eyes on him, watching his every move ever since you were born."

He could hear her smirk before she even answered back. "Even when he's takin' a dump or in the shower, huh?"

The Wolverine snorted, leaning forward and prying the closet door open. He looked in on his daughter, catching the smirk he knew she'd be wearing. "They wouldn't be doing their jobs properly if they weren't watching him all the time," he answered, matching the look on her face. He held his arms open to her. "C'mere, Kiddo, I don't like seeing you upset like you were earlier."

She was thinking what to do and he could read her thoughts fighting behind her eyes. There was a scoot, a shuffle and then a sniffle as she crawled out the closet and onto his lap. "Daddy, Ah ain't gonna forgive ya or nothin' for lyin' an' keepin' stuff from meh."

He wrapped his burly arms around her, hugging her tightly and resting his jaw on the top of her head. "I know that, Darlin'," he murmured, his voice sounding gravelly. "But no matter what you think about me, your mother isn't to blame. She was doing everything she could to keep you out of danger. We've lived long lives and we've both collected enemies, you understand?"

Anna sat there for a while and he wondered what she was thinking about. He also hoped his words were getting through to her now because soon he was going to have to punish her and she'd start hating him again. "As for her mutation, the blue looks good on her," he added, sounding stern. "She's down that hall right now, in her room and thinking she's scared you." He stroked her hair as he talked, listening to the rain pattering on the window and lulling his kid into a tunnel of even deeper thoughts. "I want you to talk to me about what you're feeling, Anna-Marie. Keeping everything bottled inside isn't smart and won't help you in the long run."

She scowled against his shoulder, biting her lip and worrying the hell out of his head. He sure as hell hoped he wasn't about to have to wrangle with one of her tantrums again.

"Ah don't care that Mama's blue none," she muttered, talking from the heart. "The brother thing don't matter much neither 'cause Ah've already got one an' Ah like him enough without needin' another." She puffed out her cheeks and huffed. "Ah don't like ya wantin' tah hurt ya brother, though, 'cause Ah don't an' Ah'm tellin' ya so. He's mah Uncle Victor an' he's ya brother too."

Logan was knocked sideways by her words. He didn't know how to answer at first, but he waited until she was growing impatient for an answer. "Darlin', he's not your uncle, not anymore. Did you hear what I was telling your mother? The man he was is gone now. He gave in to his feral side and it sent him down a darker path that even me and the Professor can't save him from. He's done things that would turn _my _hair damn white if I knew everything he was responsible for."

"Is that what happened to ya friend Storm?" she said with another smirk.

This time he didn't smile back. "He's led a life that shouldn't be joked about," he grunted sternly. "I lost my brother because he couldn't control his urges or his feral instincts. He raised me, Anna; it was just me and him when we were kids. You might not understand it, but he grew into a good man who made sure I toed the line, and if I didn't, he'd whip me till I was howling. But he was _never _cruel about it and I deserved every lick of the belt or the strap I got. He went without things to pay for what I needed, but somewhere along the lines, he lost himself instead. I wasn't around at the time and I couldn't help him out of the hole he'd fallen into. Now, I don't want you joking about him."

The girl frowned, scowled and then shrugged. "Ah won't joke about it none 'cause Ah think ya both hurtin' loads," she said slowly. "Ya hurtin' even more then Ah am an' that ain't good none."

"No, it's not good," he agreed, looking over to the belt and holding his kid a little more tightly. "My brother raised me the way he thought was right, and now I'm trying to do the same with you. And that means you've got to pay for your sins and your bad behaviour." He felt her go rigid in his arms and his heart sunk. "You got yourself in a car wreck, you stole my beer, you insulted your mother in that letter you sent, but Darlin', once your punishments are over with, I'll be drawing a line under all this."

Anna lifted her head, her eyes as round as saucers full to bursting with worry. "Punishments?" she muttered, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Ya mean more than one or somethin' real evil like that, huh?"

"Yep," Logan grunted, patting her back. "You're getting more than one spanking, Anna-Marie. One now, one later tonight before you go to bed, and another one tomorrow, okay? You stepped out of line three times and now your backside is going to pay the price."


	24. Rags

**Firstly, to everybody who has left a kind review, thank you. It means a lot. Especially now the story is beginning to come to a close. **

**Secondly, to the idiot who is now trolling me: thank you for providing two extra reviews because you've helped me reach my target of 300. And if my kink is 'child abuse', yours must be too. After all, you left two reviews for a later chapter. **

**PS. Logan's not a monster, Logan **_**doesn't **_**abuse his daughter, and Logan loves his daughter because Logan's a good dad. I don't write child abuse stories, either. Logan's not me, he's a character and he **_**still **_**loves his daughter. Now take ya fat ass back tah ya bridge, troll. Ya mama's callin' ya home.**

* * *

**Rags**

* * *

My daddy's gonna kill me three times 'cause I acted like some folk who don't know how to act none. I get that I did some real stupid shit, but this ain't fair. Him and Mama, they've been keeping loads of secrets, and now I'm the one getting the whipping, huh? That ain't fair and I'm gonna tell him so.

"This ain't fair none!" I tell him real good, scowling and everything. "Ya an' Mama don't know how tah tell the truth an' ya gonna spank meh 'cause Ah did stuff ya don't like!"

He scrubs a hand slowly over his face and grinds his teeth, doing that thing he does when he tries to find his words 'cause they're hiding up his ass. "Darlin', do you remember what we talked about when you were small?" he says. "We had a long talk about consequences and why they were important. You remember that?"

I shake my head 'cause I don't remember it none. "Ah dunno what ya goin' on 'bout," I mutter, scooting off his knee and sitting next to him. "Why does it matter anyway, huh? Ya an' Mama are full of double standards 'cause ya both do things an' there ain't any consequences for ya!"

"Nobody lives their life without shit hitting the fan," he answers in a gravelly voice, his gaze snapping to me. "Your mother's had to live with the consequences her actions brought and she's still dealing with them now. I know how she feels, kiddo." He tucks my hair behind my ears and scoops me into a hug. "You getting hurt in that car-wreck was _my _consequence for leaving when you were a kid. If I'd be around more, you'd know throwing a damn tantrum in a car would get you in big trouble. I didn't get to see you grow into the girl you are now, either. That's another consequence I've got to live with. You understand?"

This ain't my daddy's fault. Why's he going round and telling me and other folks it's his fault when it ain't? Maybe my mama's right about all guys being real dumb and everything. "No, Ah don't understand none," I huff. "How's it ya fault if Ah got in the car an' hit out at the steerin' wheel, Daddy? It was _mah_ fault an' Ah've gotta have those consequences ya were talkin' 'bout."

He strokes my hair and has this kinda proud look going about on his face. "Darlin', I'm glad you understand what I'm trying to teach you. I want you to grow into a well-rounded woman who knows right from wrong." His brow gets real wrinkly 'cause he's turning serious again. "And you're lucky I'm not punishing you for disobeying me and leaving the grounds when I told you not to." He taps me on the nose and sighs heavily, looking real resigned 'bout what he's gonna do and say. "You need to get ready for your spanking now, Anna-Marie. You'll be whipped with the belt tomorrow, you hear? But right now I'm going to spank you on the bare for taking my beer."

There goes my jaw dropping like that glitzy, glittering ball does in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Yeah, I'm kinda wishing that's where I was right now, hiding in that ball thing with some fried chicken and a chocolate shake I'd have to drink before the ball dived down. But that ain't gonna happen, and why's my daddy looking at me with a scowl?

"Over to the bed right now," he orders, giving me _that _look.

You know the look, don't you? It's that one that's filled with warning pus and stuff. If you ain't about to do what you're told, the look goes _bang _and the pus flies everywhere when your daddy comes after you with his belt or something. Yeah, I'm thinking that made loads more sense when I was thinking about it before it came to be a real _real _thought.

"Yeow!" I yelp, scrambling to my feet when my daddy's hand bounces off my butt in the form of a sharp as heck swat. "Daddy, c'mon, don't be an ass none!"

He raises an eyebrow as he stands up. "The only ass you should be worried about is your own, Anna-Marie," he growls, grabbing my arm and dragging me over to the bed. "And insulting me is only going to make things worse."

"Ah weren't insultin' ya or nothin'," I tell him, going down that kinda long and bumpy road of lying loads. "Ah was sayin' stuff 'cause the swat hurt an' Ah don't like gettin' hurt none. Ya ain't nice tah hurt meh an' ya should be thinkin' real good about what ya doin'."

"Darlin', stop talking," my daddy growls as he sits down on the foot of the bed. "You're digging yourself a hole that deep you'll be spewing mud for weeks. Now take your pants down and get over my knee so I can wear my hand out on your naughty backside."

That don't sound good to me and I wanna ask him if he'll wait till I can find my diary. Then we can schedule a meeting or something for a few years time. I ain't in the mood to get a butt whooping right now 'cause I ain't and I'll never be, which means I probably don't need to pick a date for my spanking to have trouble sitting on. I tell my daddy all this and he looks about ready to throw me out the window.

"You any idea how much trouble you're in?" he snarls, gritting his teeth as he unbuttons my favourite jeans. "You giving me attitude only makes the spanking longer and harder, Stripes."

I look at him as he tugs down my pants. "That mah new nickname, Daddy? Ah ain't real sure if Ah like it or not." Yeah, I'm trying my hardest to stop him or distract him or knock his head off his shoulder so he don't wanna spank me. If I can keep him talking till he dies, I won't get my whooping.

Logan looked like somebody had just tossed the most beautiful motorcycle he'd ever seen into a scrap metal crusher. He tugged the girl's pants down and hauled her over his knees, ignoring her complaining as he got down to work. His hand clapped down on her panties like lightning, warming the material and planning to get to the bottom of his kid's attitude.

"One, you don't try and play me," he growled, landing swat after swat on the same spot. "I'm your father and you'll respect me, Anna-Marie. Two, when I tell you you're getting a spanking, you'll be spanked. No arguing, not fighting, no tantrums, understood?"

"Oww, ow, YEOW! Daddy, ya hurtin' meh real bad!" Anna cried, trying to swim off his lap. "Ah understand an' everythin'! Ah mean it 'cause Ah swear Ah do!"

A grim-looking Logan carried on with the task at hand. He was getting into the swing of things and when he'd warmed up his kid's misbehaving ass, he hooked his fingers around the elastic waistband of her panties and downed them to her knees. "We're not finished yet, Kiddo," he said, swatting her thighs when she tried to clamber away. "We won't be done for a while, either."

He wanted his kid to understand why stealing beer, or stealing anything, wasn't going to be tolerated by him now _or_ ever. It wasn't just a kick in the goddamn teeth for him, it was a pain in her ass, too, and he was going to make sure she wouldn't be anywhere near close to forgetting this lesson for a long time.

My daddy's killing me here and everything! I can't take much more 'cause I can't get away none and his hand hurts real bad. I even tried to leap up and scramble away because I'm usually real quick when I'm running, but he stopped me and now I'm getting this punishment like I'm some vampire who's chewed off the Professor's head.

"Daddy, shit, Ah won't touch ya beer again!" I yell, starting to kick my feet 'cause I feel like doing some kind of dance. You never know, he might see I'm gonna be a great dancer when I'm older and then he'll let me go 'cause I have to be able to sit when I do interviews about my dancing. Yeah, dancers ain't always on their feet.

"Watch your language," he growls, landing another whack. "And you're right; you won't be touching my beer or _anybody _else's beer until you turn twenty one."

The tears are building around the burn back there. It ain't much of a sting, it's more than that, it's a bonfire of smacks and cracks and hurt painted red. I'm gonna have to cry real bad real soon and I can't stop it or nothing. I can't even kick much more or count the swats in my head. Yeah, I've been counting 'em but that's stopped now. My daddy's spanking me and it hurts.

I don't know how long the spanking's gone on and I don't care 'cause I stopped fighting ages ago. The minutes went on and on, the swats and spanks kept coming, then the tears rolled in and down my cheeks. I can't fight my daddy because he's too strong and he'd probably go and wear my ass out with his hand, a wooden spoon and his belt if I tried.

"D-Daddy," I mutter, choking on my words and tears. "Ah'm sorry an' everythin'."

He pulls up my panties and then sighs. "Darlin', I didn't like doing that but you earned every single swat," he murmurs, helping me sit up and dragging me into one of those bear hugs I've missed loads. "You're forgiven, though, hear me? I forgive you for the stealing."

I bury my head against his shoulder and stay there 'cause I'm never gonna move again. If I move, I'll find somebody or something to get me in trouble and I'll end up getting my butt tanned again. I just know I will 'cause I do and I'm always right.

My daddy rubs my back in circles, probably because his hand is holding onto the guilt of dishing out a circuit of smacks I ain't sure I deserved. But when I start to think about it loads, I get the real bad feeling I could've made him stop trusting me and everything 'cause taking stuff that ain't yours dents that ring of trust you have with another folk. I'm also starting to think my head's gone and broken down on me. I never used to think like that before and now I don't like what's happening to me. How can I go back to the gang with thoughts like those, huh?

"You don't have to answer, Stripes," he mutters, hugging me closer and dropping a kiss to the top of my head. "Just think about what I'm trying to teach you, okay? Every action has a consequence, and when that action puts the ball firmly in your court at the expense of others, the walls will come crashing down on you." He sighs heavily again, giving me some kind of signal to let me know he ain't real sure about what he's going on about either. "Start thinking about how you act, Darlin', that's all I'm saying."

"Yeah," I mumble, my voice sounding like it's been spanked, too. "Ah'm gonna think from now on. Ah can think about others an' everythin'."

He's wearing that proud smile again and I'm not gonna knock it off his face. I'll sit here with my daddy hugging me and I'll listen to his words 'cause my ass ain't about to forget nothing in a real long while!


End file.
